Category: Thailand

This is made from the green curry paste, dry fried cumin seeds and coriander seeds that are pounded into a powder and mixed into coconut cream and then put into an ice cream maker. The cones are made from the rice flour, plain flour, lime water and salt mix that can be found here.

 

 

I have been talking about this for the whole time I was in Thailand and I have finally managed to make it ‘work’… Here is the deal:

I wanted a double choc shell with the out shell being a dark chocolate, then a mango purée surprise, another chocolate shell and then sweet coconut sticky rice. The problem was making the chocolate shells. I have managed to make it work using a silicone cup cake mould. I haven’t nailed it yet but check out the video of the first attempt. I used very sweet coconut milk as the surprise and coconut praline to top the chocolate. I need to sort out how to make the moulds reliably and how to seal the lot once it is full.

Here is the video of opening up the chocolate http://youtu.be/trOZ4HEWguA

Chatuchak Weekend Market (JJ Market)

I incorrectly described this market to someone recently as Bangkok’s ‘Vic Market’.  I couldn’t have been anymore wrong.  This market is a thriving amalgamation of cool, food, tourists and locals all looking for something special that, if you have a lot of time to look, you will probably find.

The market is tucked away at the end of the tube line but is easy to get to and has plenty of options as far as stations are concerned.  I exited at Kamphaeng Phet station because I knew over the road there was a local food only market that I wanted to investigate (Or Tor Kor market which is an extremely clean market across the road but that’s for another post).  The market appears to, at first glance (and due to most of the stalls out side) to be full of rubbish but spend a little more time and you find quite the opposite.  The market is broken up into 6 sections; Antiques, Handicrafts & Souvenirs ; Clothing & Accessories; Eating & Drinking; Housewares & Decor; Pets; and Plants & Gardening.  in each of these sections there’s something cool to check out.  It’s crammed into little corridors so nearly impossible to photograph but if you’re only in Bangkok for a short time I would recommend checking this out (and don’t miss the market across the road).

Then there is the cool clothing…..

I would love to spend a couple of weekends here going from stall to stall to stall and picking up little designer wears that are small runs made by people who care (not knockoff crap that they want to get rid of ASAP before the shape changes in the humidity).

Duck hair flower salad

1/2 Cup	Chicken stock
3	Prawns, shelled, depooed and boiled to pink
50g	Minced pork
100g	Duck Hair Flower (Stamen [bit in the middle with the pollen] removed)
2	limes, juice
2	Red bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
1/4	Red onion, finely chopped
1	Spring onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tab	Fish sauce
1 1/2 Tab	Sugar syrup
1	Garlic clove, finely chopped

1. Pound the bird chillies to a rough paste. Put to one side
2. Boil pork in a pot with chicken stock until pork is cooked. Put to one side
3. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
4. Boil a pot of water and place duck hair flowers in the pot for 30 seconds.  Remove and put in ice water.  Allow to remain in ice water
5. Put chillies, garlic, red onion, lime juice, and spring onion in a bowl and combine. Put to one side
6. Put the duck hair flowers on a plate then the pork on top.  Pour over the chilli sauce, fish sauce and sugar syrup.  Place prawns on top and serve

Garlic

Then add:

Squeeze lime juice

Add chopped spring onion

Mix with the boiled pork over the flowers.

Pour dressings over and garnish with coriander and shallots sprinkle 1tsp dry shrimp

Sweet dark noodles

15g	Ginger
2	Spring onion
1	Garlic, clove, crushed
15g	Pork fat (can substitute with fatty bacon)
2g	Black peppercorn, roughly crushed
1 Tsp	Chinese spice (pick khom)
4	Prawn, shelled and depooed
1	Coriander root
70g	Glass noodle soaked in water and drained
1 Tab	Soy Sauce
1 Tab	Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tab	Sesame oil
1/2 Tsp	White sugar
1/2 Tsp	Sweet dark soy sauce
1/2 Cup	Chicken stock

1. In a bowl combine the Stock, dark soy, soy, sugar, oyster and sesame oil. Mix to attempt to dissolve the sugar
2. In a pot place the pork fat on the bottom and then place the (in order) ginger, coriander root, spring onion, garlic, pepper, Chinese spice, noodles and prawns
3. Pour sauce from the bowl across the contents of the pot and put pot on low heat. Wait for the sauce to start to boil, wait 2 minutes, drain and pour over the ingredients once again. Repeat the boil/2 minute wait/drain/pour step until there is very little liquid remaining. Serve

 Steamed Chinese squash soup with chicken

4 Cups	Chicken stock
175g	Chinese squash
43g	Shitakee Mushroom
1	Garlic clove
1	Chicken thigh, free range, cut in half
1	Pickled lime
1 Tsp	Salt
1 Tab	Soy sauce

1. In a pot with boiling water add chicken and boil until there is no ‘red’ showing (not completely cooked, just the outside).  Empty pot and put to one side
2. In a bowl add  mushrooms, garlic and squash and pickled lime, chicken and chicken stock
3. Put bowl in a steamer and steam for 2 hrs on medium heat
4. Remove lime before serving

I broke my own rule with this one. This guy was amazing so I am including a few photos of the tricks he was doing to mix the tea with the sweetened condensed milk and sugar. I am linking this on into the JJ Market post because this is where it belongs.

As the Thai cooking extravaganza draws to a close, I have 5 more recipes to prepare.  No longer to I have to ‘fix’ my curries, the chef just looks at me, I quiver and he says ‘OK’ and moves on.  I think I’ve done OK, I only hope that I can replicate what has become second nature back in Australia… Anyway enough sobbing in my beer, I still have to not chop off my fingers tomorrow.  As far as today’s recipes go I really like the soup, it needs the plums but don’t do what I did and eat them (they won’t kill you but I really didn’t like them).  The chicken is a great crowd pleaser without too much work and the pork curry was great.  By virtue that I have included today’s dessert must give you some indication of my feeling towards it, I will certainly be including it in my repertoire.  Enjoy today’s recipes, from tomorrow it’ll be lots of photos of people doing their stuff and probably a heap of occupational health and safety stuff.

Chicken in a padanus blanket
Sweet and sour fish soup with Chinese plum
Southern (not U.S.) style pork rib stir fry
‘Frost on the field’ (Thai dessert)

‘Frost on the field’ (Thai dessert)

500g	Coconut cream
750g	Coconut juice (water is not available)
250g	White sugar
13g	Agar agar or gelatine
50g	Green water (can be made with padanus leaves as in previous recipes)
100g	Coconut meat
1 Tsp	Salt

1. Mix together coconut juice, white sugar, agar agar and salt in a pot
2. on a high heat bring the pot to the boil and add the green water, coconut meat and slowly add the coconut cream
3. Put in the fridge for 1 hour to set. Serve upside down with the white at the top and the green jelly at the bottom

Southern style pork rib stir fry

Paste
20g	Lemon grass
4g	Kaffir lime skin
20g	Bird’s eye chillies
7g	Tamarind
7g	Galangal ginger
10g	Garlic
10g	Red onion
5g	White pepper corns
Preparation
1 Cup	Pork ribs, deboned
5g	Galangal ginger
1 Tsp	Young pepper corns
3	Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1/3 Cup	Paste (above)
1 Tab	Vegetable oil
1 Cup	Chicken Stock
1/2 Tab	Fish sauce
1 Tsp	White sugar

1. On a low heat heat the oil in a wok and add paste. Keep moving to prevent sticking. Cook until fragrant
2. Add the pork to the wok and heat until cooked. If mix starts to stick add a little stock
3. Add fish sauce, stock and sugar. Boil until the mix dries out
4. Add pepper corns and kaffir lime leaves and serve

Sweet and sour fish soup with Chinese plum

1	Tilapia fillet
3	Pickled Chinese plums
20g	Red onion, finely chopped
10g	Garlic, finely chopped
10g	Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
40g	Mushrooms, quartered
8g	Red spur chilli, coursley chopped
8g	Spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths
1/2 Tab	Soy bean paste
4 Cups	Chicken stock
1/2 Tsp	Salt
1 Tsp	White sugar
1 Tab	Tamarind juice

1. In a pot on a high heat add stock, plum, garlic, onion, mushrooms, ginger and salt.  Heat until boiling
2. Turn heat down to medium and add fish and soy bean paste and heat for 3 minutes
3. Add tamarind juice and chillies.  Taste and adjust. Heat for 3 minutes
4. Add spring onion and turn off heat.  Serve

Chicken in a padanus blanket

	Chicken thighs, deboned, skin on and cut into thirds
Marinade
20g	White sugar
10g	Sesame oil
50g	Evaporated milk
30g	Oyster sauce
20g	Sweet dark soy sauce
20g	Thai seasoning sauce (Maggi sauce)
20g	Chinese style sour sauce (cheap balsamic vinegar)
20g	Thai chilli sauce
1 Tab	Corn flour
1 1/2 Tab	Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tsp	White pepper corns
1 Tsp	Coriander root, finely chopped
Dipping sauce
100g	Palm sugar
30g	Ginger, crushed but whole
40g	Sweet dark soy sauce
20g	Chinese style sour sauce (cheap balsamic vinegar)
30g	Ketchup
30g	Thai chilli sauce
30g	Thai seasoning sauce (Maggi sauce)
40g	White vinegar
30g	Soy sauce

1. For the marinade pound the garlic, pepper corns and coriander root in a mortar until it is a paste
2. Add the paste to a bowl and combine the remaining marinade ingredients in the bowl.  Put chicken in the bowl and put to one side (fridge) for 1 – 3 hours
3. In a pot, put all of the dipping sauce ingredients and heat on a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Put to one side
4. Once marinaded put the chicken in a steamer with the marinade for 20 minutes
5. Remove from the steamer and cool to allow handling
6. Once cooled wrap in a padanus leaf and deep fry
7. Remove from the fryer once the chicken is a dark brown and serve with the dipping sauce

Today …. ‘easy’…  Crepes and fish….. The crepes have a heap of steps but really it’s worth it, they are crispy and delicious.  Here the street vendors have stopped selling them because the are too many steps and, at 400b ($3.30) they are too expensive.

Whole fried fish with green mango sauce
Vietnam crepes

Vietnam crepes

Paste
1 Tsp	Black pepper corns
15g	Garlic, finely chopped
2	Coriander roots, finely chopped
Preparation
1 Tab	Fish sauce
1/2 Tab	Palm sugar
1 1/2 Tab	White sugar
1 Tsp	Salt
100g	Prawns, finely chopped
20g	Shredded coconut meat
6	Kaffir lime leaves, very finely chopped
1 Tab	Shrimp oil
1 Tab	Vegetable oil
70g	Hard tofu
30g	Sweet pickled radish
50g	Bean sprouts
1	Spring onion, finely chopped
2	Coriander ‘branches’
1/2 Tab	Ground roast peanuts
1/2 Cup	Rice vinegar
1/2 Cup	White sugar
1 Tsp	Salt
1/4	red onion, finely chopped
1/4	Red spur chilli, roughly chopped
Crepe
1 Cup	Rice flour
1	Egg yolk
1/2 Cup	Lime stone water
3/4 Cup	Coconut cream
1/4 Cup	Water
1 Tsp	Palm sugar
1/2 Tsp	Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp	Salt

1. In a mortar pound black pepper corns to a powder
2. Add garlic and coriander root and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. On a large chopping board place shredded coconut meal and prawns
4. With a knife chop the prawns and coconut meat by chopping the mix and, as it spreads out folding the edges in to the centre.  Continue until the mix is very well mixed (image here)
5. On a high heat put prawn/coconut meat in a wok with shrimp oil, fish sauce, palm sugar, white sugar, salt and white pepper.  Constantly keep moving until the mix is fragrant and brown.
6. Add kaffir lime leaves and heat briefly. Turn off heat and put to one side
7. In a wok on a high heat add vegetable oil and add tofu.  Cook until tofu is browned
8. Add bean sprouts, radish and paste (above).  Quickly combine all ingredients and turn off heat.  Put to one side
9. In a pot on a medium heat put rice vinegar, white sugar and 1 tsp salt.  Heat until sugar is dissolved and out to one side
10. Once vinegar/salt/sugar is cool put in a small bowl with red onion and red spur chilli.  Put to one side
11. To create the crepes; In a bowl whisk rice flour, egg yolk and slowly add lime stone water
12. Combine coconut cream and water in a jug
13. Slowly whisk in coconut cream/water into the crepe mix in the bowl
14. Add palm sugar, turmeric powder and salt and whisk until palm sugar is dissolved.  Put to one side
15. Heat a wok on a high heat.  Oil wok with 1 tab of vegetable, spread oil over the entire surface and remove any excess oil with kitchen paper
16. Pour 1/2 cup of crepe mix into wok while turning wok to distribute mix over the surface making a thin coating across the surface without any gaps
17. Once the edges start to display bubbles use a scrapper to separate them from the wok
18. Pour a little vegetable oil into the edges Video here
19. Cook until the crepe starts to brown, put tofu mix, and prawn mix across the centre of the crepe and serve

Whole fried fish with green mango sauce

1	Whole tilapia fish
2 Tab	White sugar
1 1/2 Tab	Fish sauce
	Salt
Dipping sauce
1/4 Cup	Shredded green mango
4	Bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
1/4	Red onion, thinly sliced
2	Limes, juice
1	Spring onion, finely chopped
1 Tab	Fish sauce
1 Tab	White sugar

1. Mix mango, bird’s eye chillies, onion, lime juice, spring onions, dipping fish sauce and dipping sugar in a bowl and put to one side
2. In a pot stir the additional fish sauce and white sugar and heat on a low heat until the sugar is dissolved
3. Prepare deep frying oil by adding salt to oil (prevents sticking on sides of pot etc) on a high heat
4. Put fish in oil and cook until the fish is a rich brown. Pour fish/sugar mix over the fish on serving
5. Serve with dipping sauce

I know I have said this before and, to be honest, I am a lover of Thai food but everything on today’s menu really didn’t let the side down.  The cucumber soup was a real surprise, it was great (seriously who would have thought?).  We didn’t completely clean the squid and left some soft stuff on the inside, personally I think I prefer it clean but there is some soft stuff there that takes the sauce well and helps to surround your mouth with the punch the sauce offers.

Stir fry seafood with fresh curry
Deep fried chicken thigh with sweet chilli dipping sauce
Soft juicy squid with chilli topping
Cucumber soup with pork stuffing

Cucumber soup with pork stuffing

Paste
2	Spur chillies, (bright colours)
3	Bird’s eye chillies
4	Garlic, cloves
1 Tsp	White pepper corns
Preparation
300g	Pork Mince
1	Glass noodles, packet.  Rehydrated
1 Tab	Paste (above)
10	White radish pieces, course chopped pieces
4	Shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, coursley chopped
1	Baby cucumber, quarters and seeds removed
1 Tab	Soy sauce
1/2 Tsp	Salt
1/2 Tsp	White pepper powder
10 Cup	Chicken stock

1. Make the paste by putting white pepper corns in a mortar and pounding to dust
2. Add garlic, and chillies and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. In a bowl mix together the pork, glass noodles and paste.  Massage the ingredients together and put to one side to marinade (30 minutes is plenty)
4. Fill cucumber with pork mix and put to one side
5. In a pot on high heat put the stock and bring to the boil
6. Put in radish, filled cucumber, carrot, mushrooms in pot and reduce heat to low
7. Skim the scum off the top of the top as the soup simmers
8. After a few minutes add soy sauce, salt and white pepper
9. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve

Soft juicy squid with chilli topping

2	Limes, juice
6	Garlic cloves, finely chopped
8	Bird’s eye chillies
1	Coriander root
1/2 Cup	Chicken stock
1/2 Tab	Sugar
1 Tab	Fish sauce
1 Tab	Galangal ginger, slices
1	Squid

1. Slice the squid without cutting all the way through diagonally every 1cm
2. Place 1/2 ginger on a plate and place quid on top. Place remaining ginger on top of squid. Steam for 15 minutes
3. Combine lime juice, garlic, chillies, coriander root, stock, sugar and fish sauce in a pot on low heat and heat until sugar is dissolved. Put to one side
4. Once squid is steamed remove ginger and place on a plate. Pour sauce over and serve

Deep fried chicken thigh with sweet chilli dipping sauce

1	Chicken thigh
Marinade
1 Tsp	White pepper powder
7	Garlic cloves, finely cut
3	Coriander root, finely chopped
2 Tab	Soy sauce
1 Tab	Thai sauce (Maggi sauce)
1/2 Tab	White sugar
2 Tab	Pink noodle sauce
Chicken Coating
3 1/2 Heaped Tab	Plain flour
2 Tab	Limestone water to create thick paste
Dipping sauce
75g	Bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
75g	Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Cup	White Vinegar
1/2 Cup	White sugar
1/2 Tsp	Salt

1. In a mortar roughly pound chillies and dipping garlic
2. Heat a pot on low heat with vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved
3. Take off the heat and combine the garlic/chilli mix from the mortar and put to one side
4. In a bowl combine all the marinade ingredients and put chicken in the bowl. Coat chick well and leave to stand in the fridge for at 1 hour (not over night)
5. In a bowl whisk together the flour and lime water until it creates a thick paste. If the paste is too runny, add more flour. If too thick add more water. Put to one side
6. Before adding chicken heat oil for deep frying on a medium heat. Coat chicken in the flour water mix and then carefully place in the oil. Allow to cook until golder brown. Turn heat up when just golden brown to high and fry until rich brown and crispy. Take out and serve with the dipping sauce

Stir fry seafood with fresh curry

Paste
2	Spur chillies, (bright colours), finely chopped
3	Bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
4	Garlic, cloves, finely chopped
1 Tsp	White pepper corns
Preparation
2	Half coloured spur chillies, cut 4mm slices
2 Tab	Paste (above)
2	Long bean, cut 2cm lengths
6	Kaffir lime leaves
1 Cup	Sweet basil
2	Fresh pepper branches, cut into 1cm lengths
3	Finger gingers, thinly sliced
100g	Chicken breast, thinly sliced
6	Prawns, shelled and depooed
1/4	Red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tab	Fish sauce
1/2 Tab	Sugar
1/2 Tab	Oyster sauce
1/2 Cup	Chicken stock
3 Tab	Vegetable oil

1. Make the paste by putting white pepper corns in a mortar and pounding to dust
2. Add garlic, and chillies and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. Heat the oil in a wok on a high heat.  Add the paste and cook until fragrant.  Reduce heat to low
4. Add chicken, prawns, and red onion.  If the mix starts to stick add 2 table spoons of stock (more if required).  Cook until the prawns and chicken are cooked
5. Change to a high heat and add beans, kaffir limes leaves, chillies, fresh pepper, and stock (if required).  Cook until the beans are cooked
6. Add sweet basil, turn off and serve

Today’s menu is missing the dessert.  We had an issue and we are going to fix that tomorrow.  The pork curry doesn’t need crispy pork so if you ever have a disaster crispy pork that just doesn’t work… have this curry, everyone will love it!!

Smoked sour and spicy fish soup
Crispy pork belly with a sweet and smoky dipping sauce
Stir fry pork with crispy pork belly

Stir fry pork with crispy pork belly

Pork	1Kg Pork belly
Paste
20g	Rehydrated dried chillies, finely chopped
10g	Garlic, finely chopped
15g	Red onion, finely chopped
10g	Galangal ginger, finely chopped
15g	Lemongrass, finely chopped
1/2 Tsp	White pepper corns
3g	Kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1/2 Tsp	Salt
1	Coriander root, finely chopped
1 Tsp	Shrimp paste
Preparation
3	Large green beans, cut into 2cm lengths and blanched
2 Tab	Paste
6	Kaffir lime leaves
1 Tab	Dried shrimp, pounded
2 Tab	Vegetable oil
4 Tab	Chicken Stock

1. To make the crispy pork you do the following……
2. ‘Shave’ the pork skin by running a sharp knife over the skin and removing any extra hair/skin etc. Video here: http://youtu.be/qwwoQb2e0Lo
3. Cut it into large manageable chunks. Put salt on the skin and out in the fridge uncovered over night to dry out
4. Take the pork out of the fridge and put salt and vinegar on the skin. Prick with a fork all over to encourage the vinegar to ‘sink in’. Put to one side for 1 hour
5. Dry the skin out and put in deep fryer on a medium heat.  Dropping the pork in here: http://youtu.be/FudrIlsGPls
6. Fry for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oil and allow to dry
7. Turn heat up to high and wait for oil to come to a high temperature. Put pork in the oil. Cook until the skin is blistered and remove from heat and put to one side to dry
8. Once dried out add to the oil once more. Cook until the skin is crispy. Cut into dipping slices and serve with sauce
9. On a medium heat heat the oil and add the paste. Fry the paste until it starts to stick to the pan
10. Add 2 tab of stock to the pan and scrape off any paste sticking to the sides. Add more stock if required
11. Add fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves
12. Cut pork into cubes, take beans and add to wok. Heat a little and serve

Crispy pork belly with a sweet and smoky dipping sauce

Pork
1Kg	Pork belly
Dipping sauce
4	Bird’s eye chillies
4	Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tab	Soy sauce
2 Tab	Sweet dark soy sauce
1 Tab	Vinegar
1 Tab	White sugar

1. Smash the bird’s eye chillies in a mortar and put in a small bowl
2. Add the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved
3. To make the crispy pork you do the following……
4. ‘Shave’ the pork skin by running a sharp knife over the skin and removing any extra hair/skin etc. Video here: http://youtu.be/qwwoQb2e0Lo
5. Cut it into large manageable chunks. Put salt on the skin and out in the fridge uncovered over night to dry out
6. Take the pork out of the fridge and put sale and vinegar on the skin. Prick with a fork all over to encourage the vinegar to ‘sink in’. Put to one side for 1 hour
7. Dry the skin out and put in deep fryer on a medium heat.  Dropping the pork in here: http://youtu.be/FudrIlsGPls
8. Fry for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oil and allow to dry
9. turn heat up to high and wait for oil to come to a high temperature. Put pork in the oil. Cook until the skin is blistered and remove from heat and put to one side to dry
10. Once dried out add to the oil once more. Cook until the skin is crispy. Cut into dipping slices and serve with sauce

Smoked sour and spicy fish soup

1/4	Red onion, roughly cut
1	Smoked Fish
1	Lemongrass (smashed), pulled into large chunks
1	Coriander root, clean and whole
3	Saw coriander, leaves, roughly chopped
4g	Galangal Ginger, thinly sliced
6	Kaffir lime leaves
2	Tomatoes, small roma
6	Bird’s eye chillies, red and green
3	Dried chillies, deep fried
5 Cups	Chicken stock
1 Cup	Tamarind juice

1. Coursley smash together dried and fresh chillies and put to one side
2. In a pot on a medium heat add chicken stock, tamarind, lemongrass, ginger and coriander root. Bring to the boil
3. Add most of the fish to the soup keeping a little meat to add at the end. Add fish sauce. Taste and adjust
4. Turn heat to low and add tomatoes and kaffir lime leaves and simmer for 1 minute
5. Turn off the heat and add chillies to your taste.  Add remaining fish.  Remove lemongrass and coriander root and serve

The smoked fish….  Personally eating the fish was annoying.  The soup had a great smokey flavour added by the fish.  I was happy to have the soup without the fish but keep the smokey flavour.

I’m one for getting off the beaten track.  I saw this hut over a swamp and wanted a ‘mum can we go swimming’ sort of shot (with the shoes at the deck) but then we saw something in the mud…

There are these little fish called ‘Mudskippers’..  They get around in the mud (it looks like) scooping mud into their mouths.  they then decided to have a little fight after flipping around for a while.  Photos below.

http://youtu.be/XjF9pA0xJ9o..  Train coming through and hitting my camera.

There are several sides to this story… First things first…  If you are coming here expecting to find out how to get to Maeklong Railway Market…  Here you go:

1. Bangkok Victory monument station.  Exit 2 (before 7 then the minibus terminal is ‘closed’ but go down the drive way).
2. On this day (no idea if it changes) at location 4 we got on a minibus.  You apparently need to buy a ticket first but I have no idea how this happens and it all turns out OK, the driver will get money from you (70b one way)…. note… If you are over 160cm…  don’t do what I did…  I ended up at the back of the bus under the AC bent over (the back of the bus has AC vents that make the roof lower) in traffic for 2 hours.  Very uncomfortable for me and OMG I feel sorry for the very small Thai lady on the window side who was squished in to the window by my ever increasing arse…. Another note…. Might be worth while not taking 20Kgs of camera equipment too….  Thank god no one knew English, I’m sure if they knew how to ‘tut’ in English there would have been plenty of that going on too (tripod never wins friends).
3. Theoretically 1.5 hours later you are dropped off at Maeklong.  Behind the bus, over the road is where you get picked up to go back (Victory Monument written in English) and in front of you is the main street.  Head to the main street and look left.  The boom gates are there, the station on the right on and the market on the left. If you go to the station there is a sign that tells you when the next train is.

So the market…. It was amazing.  I have been to a heap of markets all over the world from chickens getting killed and plucked in front of you in Egypt to English fish markets that make you sign a waver before you can take any photos (highly recommended by the way).  This was something else.  Even in Bangkok standards this was a little out there.  Very little ice to be seen, a lot of flies to be seen and even the occasional animal (excluding the tourists), mainly cats.  It has live fish, killed and prepared in front of you, frogs on their backs and the market’s signature dish, mackerel in a bamboo steamer (you don’t get to take the steamer home). The big attraction is the fact a train runs through the middle of the market.  A bell goes off, the stalls finish their transaction and then they start pulling back the fruit, veggies and various animal products from around the tracks.  Second bell goes off and the activity becomes fierce as the slow ones now they have seconds.  The rich stalls move their trollies back along little tracks that move them back just enough to be out of the way of the train.  Tourists get yelled at by the stall holders to get back (constantly) and the train rattles through centimetres from your chest.  Once the train is past everything is put back and everyone goes on with their day.  Photo of the back of the train is here.

For those of you who are concerned (or just want to see my kit destroyed here is the damage to the camera.

…Damage is beside the lens…

The market has stuff all over the place beside the tracks and, as you can see, heaps to move out of the way in a short period of time (watch the video for real time understanding).

Step outside the market and there’s even more going on.  Dried fish, locals looking at Buddha amulets, crepes with savory fillings cooked over charcoal stoves (all photos below) and more but I will put other entries for those..  There is about 4 hours you can kill here and, if you want to stop and talk to anyone (they are all happy to talk) then more.

The one thing I did want to get from the market was a track’s eye view of the train.  I hadn’t seen anyone use the perspective of the tracks in their videos so I dumped my camera in the middle of the track and left it there.  This disturbed everyone, the market holders (on the right of the shot) and the Japanese tourists next to me.  Check it out here: http://youtu.be/XjF9pA0xJ9o

The photos are here:

The market’s traditional fair.. mackerel in bamboo steamers…

 

There wasn’t any active selling.  This lady was just sitting there hoping this lanky Australia would buy something… Sorry

I love the fact this guy’s next ‘customer’ is in the bucket next to him.  They are all alive and get chopped up to ‘order’.

And the poor little frogs.. 80b/kg… They come in a lot less than the quail.  Probably the same amount of meat:-)

Outside the market there’s still a heap going on.  This guy was making savory crepes on a charcoal fire.  They are really hard work to make.  You create a dough with sticky rice flour, water and egg.  Make a flat cake and boil the cake.  Takes the cakes and mix them in a mixer to a paste.  Spread that paste out in to the crepe shape and thickness and put in the sun to dry.  Once dry you stack them, take them to market and so the final step here.  They are sweet in flavour but not a sweet (if that makes sense) .  Brilliant!!

Dried squid run through a ‘mangle’ to flatten them out for (I can only assume) eating… Enjoy.

 

Chef saw this and bought it for us as a gift.

In Thailand there is a short period of time you can buy palm sugar like this (once a year).  This palm sugar is a really bold flavour and is really punchy eaten on its own.  I have to try it in cooking but it looks great.

In spite of the green colour this was delicious.  The padanas leaves added the vanilla flavour and it was gorgeous.  Serving on bread was a very Thai thing to do but it was great on the soft, cafe cut, steamed bread.

Today’s menu involved preparing 3 dipping sauces and serving them with some very fresh vegetables.  I am running out of power on my phone so I don’t think I’ll get the recipes up tonight but here are the photos as a teaser:

Today’s menu included a lot of very fresh flavours. All of the dishes today included texture and taste to delight the sensors. Those of keen eye might notice on the Chicken salad we have banana blossom. I REALLY didn’t like it so I have excluded it from the recipe (it tasted like very very (yes, two ‘verys’) green banana). The fish was light, healthy and tasty, the soup (even with the banana blossom) was delicious and the black sticky rice was a pleasant end to a day of eating. 2 hours in the gym where the spinning instructor did most of the session in English and I guess I may have burned off 50% of the day’s calories.

Chicken soup with banana blossom (Tom Kaa Gai Si Wha Pre)
Chicken salad with tom yum dressing
Thai Summer fish
Black sticky rice pudding