Yam Som O

Yam Som O (ยำส้มโอ) - Thai Pomelo and Prawn Salad

Yam Som O is the epitome of the classic Thai dish. It has the finely balanced flavours of sweet, sour, salty and spicy with the uniquely Thai fruit, the Som O, along with Thai chili jam (nam prik pao), the ubiquitous Thai fish sauce, shredded fresh coconut, coriander, Thai shallots, palm sugar, lime juice and lemon grass. It is a fabulously refreshing summer salad that can be served as a main dish with a few simple accompaniments. The Som O or Pomelo is one of the largest citrus fruits in Southeast Asia. Ripe Som O has an only slightly acidic taste not like the grapefruit we know in Australia. The rind is very easy to peel off and it has some great health benefits as well.

Apart from ingredients we had in the kitchen or grow at home we purchased from the local fresh Thai market the Som O $1, 300g green prawns $2.80, bunches old coriander and mint 40, each and 20g freshly shredded 20c, total $4.60.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 2 glasses of Sauvignon Blanc or I large beer Chang

Ingredients:

One large Som O (ยำส้ม) peeled and cut into separated segments making sure there is no pith. This is so easy to do – forget about trying to segment oranges for crepe suzette.

300 g sautéed or cooked medium sized prawns peeled (gûng กุ้ง)

4 tbsp dry roasted shredded coconut (má~práao มะพร้าว)

4 tbsp dry roasted peanuts or cashews (mét má~mûuang-hǐm-má~paan เม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์)

2 tbsp fried crispy chopped Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng grɔ̀ɔp หอมแดงกรอบ)

½ cup coriander leaves (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

½ cup mint leaves (sà~rá~nɛ̀ɛ สะระแหน่)

Ingredients for Dressing:

½ tbsp fish sauce (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

1 tbsp palm sugar (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล)

2 tbsp lime juice (nám má~naao น้ำมะนาว)

1 ½ tbsp roasted chilli jam (nám-prík-pǎo น้ำพริกเผา)

1 tbsp finely chopped lemon grass (soft part only) (dtà~krái ตะไคร้)

In a dressing bowl, add roasted chili paste, lemon grass, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir well.

In a mixing bowl, add Som O, prawns, fried shallots, roasted shredded coconut and peanuts, coriander and mint leaves and toss with dressing.

Garnish with kaffir lime leaves and sliced red spur chili.

Cooking Note

To fry shallots, peel the skin off and thinly slice. Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan over low to medium heat. Add shallot and fry until golden brown. Set aside and discard the oil. Or just use the readymade ones available at any good Asian grocery store.

Grilled Beef Salad with Jim Jaew sauce (Yam Nʉ́ʉa Yâang Nám-jîm jaew - ยำเนื้อย่างมน้ำจิ้มแจ่ว)

In Thai, khao (ข้าว) is rice and khua (คั่ว) is to dry roast or dry fry in a pan with heat, but no oil.
The rice in khao khua (ข้าวคั่ว) is sticky rice (khao nǐiao ข้าวเหนียว), which is then dry roasted, and finally ground into a coarse powder. As an ingredient, khao khua acts as a thickener, gives a crunchy texture and adds a smoky roasted flavour to dishes. 

You can use any frypan or a wok, and heat to medium. Once the frypan is hot, add the 1 cup of uncooked sticky rice (with no oil), and just dry roast it, stirring continuously until fragrant and golden yellow in colour. Allow to cool then grind the rice into a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. It can be stored for up to a couple of weeks.

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS
Jim Jaew Sauce (นํ้าจิ้มแจ่ว)
¼ cup thinly sliced Thai shallots
¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves
⅓ cup fish sauce
1 lime
2 teaspoons palm sugar 
1 tablespoon of khao khua (ข้าวคั่ว) see above
2 to 3 small fresh red Thai (bird’s eye) chillis, or to taste, seeded and minced 
600g eye filet beef
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
Salad 
4 green shallots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup packed fresh coriander leaves, washed well and spun dry 
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup thinly sliced Thai shallots
1 seedless cucumber sliced
6 cherry tomatoes halved

METHOD
Make Jim Jaew sauce by combining fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, coriander leaves, challis and Khao Khua in a bowl. Adjust the flavour balance to taste with more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar, if necessary. The sauce should be sour and salty.
Cut filet horizontally to form 4 approximately 1-inch-thick pieces. Rub both sides of each piece with black pepper pressing it into meat and dip in olive oil.
Grill beef on hot barbecue 3 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Allow beef to rest wrapped in foil. Cut beef across grain into very thin slices.
Toss salad ingredients in a bowl and dress with a small amount of the Jim Jaew sauce thin slices.
Garnish beef with coriander sprigs and serve with salad sticky rice and individual bowl of Jim Jaew sauce for each diner.

Thai Coriander Pesto


tai pàk-chii péet-dtôo ไทยผักชีเพสโต้



The flavours of Thailand come alive in this rich pesto infused with lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime, and cashews. If you can find them, raw macadamia nuts can be substituted.

Coriander is a powerful green herb and a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants–vital elements for good health. If eaten in large enough quantities, coriander helps the body to release toxins, especially heavy metals that can affect our well-being.

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw or lightly toasted cashews
(mét-má~mûuang-hǐm-má~paan เม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์), without salt
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม)
2 tablespoons minced lemon grass (dtà~krái ตะไคร้).
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger (kǐng ขิง)
1 tsp. honey (nám-pʉ̂ng น้ำผึ้ง)
2 large kaffir lime leaf (bai-má~grùut ใบมะกรูด) finely chopped, rib removed, or 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 tbsp. fish sauce (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)
3 green chilies (prík sǐi-kǐiao พริกสีเขียว), seeds removed
1 tablespoon lime juice (nám-má~naao น้ำมะนาว)
4 cups chopped fresh coriander (pàk-chii ผักชี) with stems
1/2 cup light olive oil (nám-man-má~gɔ̀ɔk น้ำมันมะกอก)

In a mortar and pestle pound the cashews until finely ground. Add the garlic, lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves or lime zest, chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and pound to a paste. Place in a blender, add the oil and process for 5 seconds. Add the coriander  in batches as you continue processing the mixture into a smooth paste, scraping the side of the bowl as you go. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Barbecued King Prawns Miang With Coconut, Lime, Chilli and Galangal Dressing On Betel LeavesMîiang-kam Gûng Yâang เมี่ยงคำกุ้งย่าง

The name Miang can be interpreted as meaning "eating many things in one bite" - from miang (เมี่ยง), meaning "food wrapped in leaves", and kam (คํา), "a bite". This is a variation of the traditional Miang Kam accompanied by barbecued prawns making the entree slightly more substantial and giving it a fusion cuisine feel. The leaf used in wrapping miang kam is not in fact the betel leaf, as is commonly thought, but instead the “wild pepper leaf” – bai chá-pluu (ใบชะพลู) in Thai and Lao. Like the betel leaf, it is a member of the pepper genus (botanically, “Piper”) and therefore the two are related but far from being the same.

Ingredients:

1 small lime (má~naao ะนาว)

¼ fresh coconut (má~práao มะพร้าว), flesh removed and finely grated

16 green king prawns (gûng กุ้ง), peeled and cleaned, leaving tails intact

16 betel leaves (bai chá-pluu ใบชะพลู)

50 gm raw peanuts (tùua-lí-sǒng ถั่วลิสง), roasted, shelled and coarsely chopped

2 red Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง) , thinly sliced

3 fresh red bird's eye (scud or mouse shit) chillies (prík kîi nǔu พริกขี้หนู), seeded and thinly sliced

1 bunch of coriander leaves (bai pàk-chii ใผักชี) picked and washed

1 bunch of mint leaves (bai sà~rá~nɛ̀ɛ ใบสะระแหน่) picked and washed

Dressing:

50 gm tamarind paste (má~kǎam bpìiak น้ำะขามเปียก)

1 tbsp dried shrimp (gûng-hɛ̂ng กุ้งแห้ง)

2 cm piece of galangal (kàa ข่า), peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp shrimp paste (gà~bpì กะปิ)

170 gm palm sugar (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล), grated

1 tbsp fish sauce (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

1   For dressing, combine tamarind pulp and 100 ml boiling water in a bowl and stand for 30 minutes. Place dried shrimp in a mortar and, using a pestle, pound until finely ground. Place ground shrimp, galangal, shrimp paste and palm sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until sugar melts. Increase heat to high and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until fragrant. Add tamarind mixture and fish sauce and return to the boil, then remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve and cool. Stir in enough cold water to achieve the consistency of pouring cream. Makes about 2/3 cup. Dressing will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 weeks.

2   Using a small, sharp knife, remove rind from lime, leaving a small amount of flesh on the skin, then chop rind into 2mm pieces.

3   Place grated coconut on an oven tray and roast at 180C for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until golden.

4.  Barbecue prawns over medium-high heat until just cooked through. Place 4 betel leaves on each plate. Combine peanuts, shallots, chillies, chopped lime rind, coconut and herbs in a bowl, then add 2 tbsp dressing, or to taste, gently combine and divide salad among leaves. Top each leaf with a cooked prawn and serve immediately.

Thai Style Ratatouille (สไตล์ไทยแระทะทุย)

Ingredients

6             Thai red shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง)

4             cloves of garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม)

2             eggplants (má~kʉ̌ʉa มะเขือ)

3             zucchinis (bùuap-fà~ràng บวบฝรั่ง)

3             red capsicums (prík-yùuak พริกหยวก)

6             medium ripe tomatoes (má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet มะเขือเทศ)

               Bunch of fresh Thai basil (horapa) (hǒo-rá~paa โหระพา)

               Canola or sunflower oil (nám-man-pʉ̂ʉt น้ำมันพืช)

               A few sprigs of   fresh thyme or a teaspoon of dried thyme                          (dtôn-taam ต้นไทม์)

               400g tin tomatoes (má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet มะเขือเทศ)

1             tablespoon balsamic vinegar (nám-man-pʉ̂ʉt น้ำมันพืช)

1             tablespoon of Shao Hsing wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

2             tablespoons of finely chopped kaffir lime leaves (bai-má~grùut                  ใบมะกรูด)

Method

Prep your ingredients before you start – peel and cut the shallots into wedges, then peel and finely slice the garlic. Trim the eggplant and zucchinis de-seed the capsicum and chop them all into 2.5cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped eggplant, zucchinis and capsicum (you may need to do this in batches) and fry for around 5 minutes or until golden and softened, but not cooked through. Spoon the vegetables into a slow cooker.

To the pan, add the shallots, garlic, basil stalks and thyme with another drizzle of oil, if needed. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and golden. Place into the slow cooker and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, the balsamic, Chinese wine and a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan and slow cook for 6 hours, or until reduced, sticky and sweet. Tear in the basil leaves and add with kaffir lime and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with a hunk of bread or steamed rice.

The secret of this dish is the slow cooking. It retains the soft texture of the eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and onions without turning them into softened mush. No chili in this dish to retain the authentic French style with just a touch of Thai.

Thai style Crab Chili Rissotto
(Sà~dtaai Tai bpuu prík rissotto สไตล์ไทยปูพริกริซอตโต้)

(Serves 2)

Adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe.

A high-starch (amylopectin), low-amylose round medium- or short- grain white rice is usually used for making rissotto. Such rices have the ability to absorb liquids and to release starch and so they are stickier than the long grain varieties. The principal rissotto rice varieties used in Italy are Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano.  A 250g packet of Riso Gallo rissotto rice sells at 220 baht in Thailand. The rice I suggest can be purchased from Tops/Central supermarkets and can be used for Risottos and Paellas as well as Sushi.  It is grown in Thailand at Chiang Rai. It's a Japanese variety called 'Sasanishiki', is produced by a company called King Elephant and costs about the same price as a standard good quality local rice such as Hom Mali, about 70 baht/kg.

Ingredients:

1 litre light chicken stock (náam-dtôm-gàI น้ำต้มไก่) (made up to half strength)

1 stick of lemongrass (dtà~krái ตะไคร้)

15ml olive oil (nám-man-má~gɔ̀ɔk น้ำมันมะกอก)

4 shallots, (dtôn-hɔ̌ɔm ต้นหอม) finely chopped

2 fresh red chillis (prík พริก), de-seeded and finely chopped

1 glove garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม)

200g rissotto rice (kâao rissotto ข้าวริซอตโต้)

75ml Chinese cooking wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

200g crabmeat (bpuu ปู)

Zest and juice of a lime, plus 1 lime to serve

Salt and pepper to taste (glʉʉa เกลือ)\ prík-tai-dam พริกไทยดำ)

2 handfuls of coriander (bai pàk-chii ใบผักชี) (plus a little extra for garnish)

Method

1/ Make up the stock, infused with bruised lemongrass, and put in a saucepan over a low heat to keep hot.

2/ Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan with a lid, and when warm add the shallots, chili and garlic. Cook over a low heat for a minute or so (take care not to let the garlic burn).

3/ Turn the heat up and add the rice, stirring it into the chili and shallots.

4/ Add the wine and let this bubble up and be absorbed into the rice. Now add a ladleful of the hot, infused stock and cook, stirring all the while, until it too is absorbed.

5/ Turn the heat down and add a ladleful of stock at a time, stirring. Don’t rush this part – it will probably take about 20 minutes.

6/ Take the pan off the heat, add the crabmeat and the lime zest and juice and stir, then taste for seasoning. Now, stir in the coriander leaves, put the lid on and, with the pan still off the heat, let it stand for a few minutes until the leaves have wilted.

7/ Divide the rissotto into 2 bowls, garnish with a few more coriander leaves and a quarter of lime each (squeeze this over just before eating).

Thai Holy Basil Stirfried Chicken  (pàt gà~prao  gài ผัดกระเพราไก่)

This is one of the most popular Thai street food dishes. The chicken is stir fried with Thai holy basil, and served on top of rice with a fried egg on the side.

Ingredients

400 g chicken breast (gài ไก่)

5 cloves of garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม)

5 Thai bird's eye, mouse shit or scud chillis (prík kîi nǔu พริกขี้หนู)

1  tablespoon oil for frying (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล)

2 teaspoons of oyster sauce (nam man hoi น้ำมันหอย)

1 teaspoons light soy sauce (sii-íu ซีอิ)

1 teaspoon palm sugar (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล)

splash of dark soy sauce (sii-íu dam ซีอิดำ)

handful of Thai holy basil leaves (gà~prao กะเพรา)

Method

Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces.

Rinse and peel the garlic add the chilies and pound them in a mortar and pestle.

Pick a  good sized handful of holy basil leaves off the stems.

Heat wok on high heat, and add about 1 tablespoon of oil.

When the oil is hot, add the chilies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 seconds until they get really fragrant, don’t let them burn or get too dry.

Add the chicken. Keep stir frying continuously. Cook the  chicken until it’s almost cooked through (about 2 – 3 minutes). If it starts to go dry, add just a splash of water.

Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, palm sugar, and a splash of dark soy sauce. Keep stir frying for about another 30 seconds.

Toss the holy basil it into the wok, fold it into the chicken, and then immediately turn off the heat. The holy basil  only needs to cook for about 5 seconds, and it will continue to wilt and cook from the existing heat of the chicken. If you cook the basil for too long, it loses flavour and goes soggy.

Pad kra pao gai is normally eaten on top of plain steamed jasmine rice Jasmine rice (kâao-sǔuai ข้าวสวย) with a fried egg with soft yolk (kài-daao mâi sùk ไข่ดาวไม่สุก) on the side. Make sure the  rice iand eggs are cooked and ready to serve 

Slow Cooked Thai Pork Rib Casserole

Dtǔn Sîi-kroong Moo ตุ๋นซี่โครงหมู

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil (nám-man-pʉ̂ʉt น้ำมันพืช)

1 kg pork ribs (sîi-kroong moo ซี่โครงหมู), chopped into 2-inch segments

6 Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง), peeled and halved

5 cloves garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม) , minced

4 medium tomatoes quartered or similar quantity of tinned tomatoes

2 carrots (kɛɛ-rɔ̀t แครอท), peeled and sliced

2 thumb-size pieces galangal (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา) or ginger (king ขิง), grated

2 tbsp. tomato paste (waang má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet วางมะเขือเทศ)

2 pork or beef stock (náam-dtôm น้ำต้ม) cubes

2 tbsp. chilli jam (nám-prík-pǎo น้ำพริกเผา)

3 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

1 tbsp. fish sauce (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

2 tsp. dark soy sauce (sɔ́ɔt-tùua-lʉ̌ʉang ซอสถั่วเหลือง) (or substitute 2 tsp. regular soy sauce)

1/2 to 1 tsp. chilli flakes (pǒng prík ผงพริก) to taste

1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds (mét pàk-chii เม็ดผักชี)

Method:

1. Trim the pork ribs, cut into 4-5cms pieces.

3. Put the oil in a wok and preheat.

4. Fry the ribs just to brown the outside and make the fat a little crispy.

5. Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker, cover with water and cook for 4 hours or until pork is tender.

6. Refrigerate overnight and skim fat from the surface. Reheat, garnish with coriander sprigs and serve with Jasmine rice and Asian greens.

Yam Woon Sen

Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Chicken and Prawns

(Yam wún-sên ยำยำวุ้นเส้น)

Ingredients:

100 g. Vermicelli (glass) noodles (wún-sên ยำวุ้นเส้น)

1 Tablespoon olive oil (nám-man-má~gɔ̀ɔk น้ำมันมะกอก)

1 Chicken breast (gài  ไก่)

4 Tablespoons lime juice (nám má~naao

น้ำมะนาว)

3 Tablespoons fish sauce (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

1 Tablespoon palm sugar (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล)

4 Small green chillies (prík kîi nǔu พริกขี้หนู), finely chopped

1/2 Medium white onions (hǔua-hɔ̌ɔm หัวหอม), sliced thin

1/2 Cup chopped coriander (pàk-chii ผักชี)

1/4 Cup chopped shallots (dtôn-hɔ̌ɔm ต้นหอม)

1 lettuce (pàk-gàat ผักกาด)  shredded

1 pkt cherry tomatoes (má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet มะเขือเทศ)  sliced in halves

5 Pickled garlic cloves (grà~tiiam dɔɔng กระเทียมดอง) chopped

200g Small cooked prawns (gûng กุ้ง)

2 Tablespoons crisp-fried Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง)

Black pepper (prík-tai-dam

พริกไทยดำ) to taste

Method:

Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water and soak until soft (about 15 minutes). Drain  and put into a large pot of boiling water. Reduce to medium heat; cook until noodles are plump and glass like (3 to 5 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again. Cut into 3 or 4 inch lengths with scissors. Chill.

Pour oil into a hot wok. Add chicken; sauté until white. Break into small pieces, season  and place in fridge.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound together chili, lime juice, nam pla, and sugar.  Mix with shallots and coriander; pour over noodles and mix thoroughly. Add chicken, prawns, tomatoes. lettuce, shallots, onion, and pickled garlic and mix well.

Sprinkle with the crisp fried Thai shallots.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Crisp fried Thai shallots can be bought in Asian grocery stores as can crisp fried garlic. If unavailable fry some sliced Thai shallots in a little oil until brown and crisp.

Pork cheeks are ridicously cheap in Thailand ( about 70 baht A$2.30 a kilo) and slow cooked are delicious. You don't have to buy the head, the cheeks are removed and have little fat, no more than, say, filet steak.

Thai-style Pork Cheeks (gɛ̂ɛm mǔu แก้มหมู)

Ingredients:

olive oil

12 whole Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง)

12 cherry tomatoes (má~kʉ̌ʉa-têet มะเขือเทศ)

I large roasted red capsicum (prík-yùuak พริกหยวก)

1kg pork cheeks (gɛ̂ɛm mǔu แก้มหมู), excess fat trimmed and cut in half

1 tbsp flour (bpɛ̂ɛng แป้ง), salt and ground pepper     

2 large garlic cloves (grà~tiiam กระเทียม), crushed

½ tsp ground cumin (yîi-ràa ยี่หร่า)

3 bird's eye chillis (prík kîi nǔu พริกขี้หนู)

150ml Chinese cooking  wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

500ml beef stock(náam-dtôm น้ำต้ม)

handful coriander, leaves picked (bai pàk-chii ใบผักชี)

4 thyme stalks (dtôn-taam ต้นไทม์)

Method:

Toss the cheeks in the seasoned flour.

Heat 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil in a large cast-iron  casserole and turn up the heat. Brown the pork cheeks all over in batches.

Add shallots, garlic, cumin and chillis and cook for a minute, then add the cooking wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan and mix in all the flavours.

Pour in the beef stock then bring the pan to a simmer. Place pan contents in a slo cooker and cook for 2 hours or until the cheeks are tender.

While the pork is cooking cut the capsicum in quarters, remove seeds and roast skin side top on gas top until burnt. Place in plastic bag and after cooling remove skin. Reheat with pricked cherry tomatoes just before serving and arrange on top of pork cheeks.

Scatter with coriander leaves and thyme and serve on brown rice with steamed beans or asparagus,.