Category: Thailand

Roast coriander pork  (Pick lab moo)

1. In a stone mortar and pestle pound Szechuan pepper, coriander seeds, and cumin thoroughly until they are a fine dust
2. Add dried chillies, bird’s eye chillies and salt, pound again until mix is a paste
3. Add onion, ginger and garlic and pound to a paste.  Put to one side
4. On a medium heat add oil to a wok
5. Add 1 Tab paste to the oil and stir until the oil changes colour
6. Reduce to a low heat and add pork and stock. Cook until pork to cooked
7. Add fish sauce. Taste and adjust
8. turn off heat and add all coriander and spring onion and serve

Red curry pork belly (Kaeng Lee Hung Moo)

1. In a stone mortar and pestle pound coriander seeds, cumin and peppers thoroughly until they are a fine dust.
2. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and coriander root to mortar and pound until there isn’t any obvious sinew.
3. Add dried chillies and salt pound unit pieces of chilli cannot be made out from the rest of the matter.
4. Add shrimp paste and pound to mix in the paste. Put to one side
5. Mix the ginger, garlic, curry paste, shrimp paste and stock in a pot with the pork.
6. On a low heat simmer the pork mix with the lid on
7. After 1 hour add peanuts and sugar put lid on and continue simmering
8. After 1:30 minutes (additional 30 minutes to the last step) add tamarind
9. Once there is fat sitting on the top of the simmering pot take off the heat (over 2 hours)
10. Place in a bowl and serve

Not quite spaghetti and meat balls 

This curry has been used in Jim Thompson’s house restaurant as a special by Chef for over 6 years.  It was a best seller.  It really is something you have to try, there is a good reason you charge 240b (little less that $10 but here it’s expensive) for it.  This can be used on spaghetti or on it’s own.  It’s really very special.

1. Make the paste by pounding in a dried chillies and salt until it makes a paste
2. Add coriander root, garlic, onion, galangal and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. On a high heat put oil in a wok
4. Add paste to the wok and keep moving until the oil changes colour
5. Turn the heat to medium and add pork. Cook until pork is just cooked by massaging into the pork with spatula (a little pink is okay)
6. Add tomatoes and stock. Cook until the tomatoes until their juice rises to the top. Add more stock if the mix dries out
7. Add sugar and tamarind juice. Taste and adjust. Add more stock if required

There isn’t a stand out dish today. I guess if I was pushed the cups would be it, they are very easy (other than the cups) and very tasty. I think if you come to my place for a dinner party the first thing you are going to see will be these.
Eastern style pork soup
Stir fry noodle with prawn curry
Stir fry noodles with mince beef and golden surprise
Crunchy spiced beef cups

Crunchy spiced beef cups

1. Make teh cups by mixing all the ‘crunchy cups’ mix together in a bowl with a whisk until it is smooth. Put to one side
2. To make the cups you need one of these and then you do this. Basically you get the cup mold very hot in the oil. you pull it out, emptying the oil in the cups. Dab it on some paper to remove oil from the bottom of the mold and then dip it in the batter. Leave it there long enough to cook some batter on the molds and then put the molds in the hot oil to cook. The cups will either fall off or, with a little encouragement come off and cook until they are golden brown. Repeat
3. Make the filling mix by putting the meat in a bowl and adding the rest of the ingredients. Massage the ingredients into the meat. Form balls about 1cm in diameter and deep fry at a medium temperature. Take care that the balls don’t stick on the bottom. When balls are dark brown remove, drain and place in a cup
4. These can be dressed with deep fried very finely chopped red onion and kaffer lime leaves

Stir fry noodles with mince beef and golden surprise

1. In a small bowl mix water and corn flour. If more water is required add more water, the mix should be the thickness of single cream. Put to one side
2. Place the lettuce on a plate ready to receive the noodles. Put to one side
3. In a wok on a high heat add 1 Tab vegetable oil to the wok. Cook the oil until it is smoking. spread oil around wok by moving the wok around
4. Put noodles in wok and spread out to resemble a noodle pancake. Move wok to prevent sticking. When the bottom is brown flip the pancake.
5. When this side is brown move the noodles quickly with a spatula to separate
6. Remove the noodles from the wok with a spatula and place on top of the lettuce
7. Make an indent (a cup with the noodles that will hold the yolk) in the middle of the noodles and place the egg yolk in the middle (photo below)
8. Turn the heat to medium and, in the wok add the remaining vegetable oil (1 Tab)
9. Add garlic to the wok and keep moving until it becomes fragrant
10. Add beef to wok and keep moving. Cook to 30% (still very pink)
11. Add brown onion and combine
12. Turn the heat to a low heat and add stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and curry powder and stir. taste and adjust. If the mix gets too dry add more stock
13. Add the corn flour mix gradually string in after each addition until the desired sauce thickness is obtained
14. Place meat over the egg and noodles and serve

Stir fry noodle with prawn curry

1. In a small bowl mix evaporated milk, egg, sugar, soy sauce, 1 Tab (half) chilli oil and oyster sauce and put to one side
2. In a wok on a medium heat add vegetable oil to the wok
3. Add garlic to the wok and keep moving until it becomes fragrant
4. Add prawns and onion to wok and cook until the prawns start to become pink
5. Add curry powder and stock, toss in with prawns
6. Add evaporated milk mix from above and boil
7. Add remaining vegetables and chilli oil, briefly cook.  Add extra stock if too dry
8. Add 1 splash of vegetable oil to give the meat a shine and serve

Eastern style pork soup

1. On a high heat bring to the boil the stock and add the pork, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, onion and salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and scoop off any scum that forms on the surface. Allow to simmer for at least 1 hour
3. On a medium heat remove pork from the stock and place in another pot with 2 cups stock and tamarind water and bring tot he boil
4. Add fish sauce, tomatoes, galangal, onion, and lemongrass and bring to the boil
5. Add chilli powder and bring to the boil. Taste and adjust
6. If you want the soup to be more spicy add the smashed bird’s eye chillies.  Add kaffir lime and saw coriander and serve

OK… there are no food standards here

If you own a  wok and some basic tools you can go and setup anywhere and start selling green curry (or anything else you want really).  I should have used flash on this guy but he was having too much fun when I pointed the camera at him and I didn’t want to delay the shot.  He is making a (and click to get the full size to see) squid curry, nose to tail.  You not only take your life into your own hands with these guys but you could well be being served anything.  I doubt it includes rats.  I will try to get a shot of the rats, they are the smallest most pathetic looking vermin I have seen.  I can’t see anyone trying to use them as food.

All over Sukhumvit (where the course is and I tend to hang out) there are these ladies making the modifications to your finery that you require.  No changing rooms, no niceties, just a tape measure, some pins and a sewing machine.  This one’s electric but (and I will try to get a photo) I have seen one of the old singer foot powered one on the side of the road.  Really it doesn’t require a shop front in a major shopping centre filling Westfield’s pockets (not the shop keepers’ pockets).  In this respect the Thai’s have it nailed.

Everywhere you look in Bangkok there’s a photo of someone trying to make a living.  I think I am going to try to put entries for every weekend on people in Bangkok doing their stuff.

This lady can be found selling dried fish to locals on the main drag between the tourist ferry and Wat Poh (reclining Buddha).  Everywhere else in the world there would be hundreds of dodgy guys trying to sell you any number of tourist trinkets but this is a living city, it has people doing ‘city’ jobs and needing their daily necessities.  Below is the fish she was selling, I have no idea how to use them but I guess they are delicious:-)

The duck curry today was delicious. It is more or less a red curry with duck as the base but it has the sweetness of a massaman curry. The best place to get the roast duck is from a Chinese restaurant. If you really don’t want to do that, use roast pork with the fat trimmed and crackling removed.

Today’s dessert was nice but only in small amounts. It has a sweetness with the crunch of the corn and the water chestnut and then the saltiness of the coconut cream topping (snow). For me 2 squares were enough but still very nice.

Roast duck red curry
Stir fry vegetables, Northern Thai style
Pork fried bread
Snow on the grass

Snow on the grass

1. Put the syrup water, sugar and padanas leaves to boil and thicken on a high heat.  Stir occasionally
2. Make the green water by combining the green water padanas leaves and water in a blender. Blend until the leaves are the size of tea
3. Filter the water through a strainer to remove the large pieces of padanas leaves
4. It helps to filter the water through muslin or a coffee filter however small pieces of padanas leaves do not impact the dish significantly. Put to one side
5. In a pot mix together the green water and the mung bean flour
6. In a heavy bottom pot on a high heat mix together water chestnut, corn kernels, and syrup. Gradually add the green water mix and stir until the mix thickens significantly. Quickly fill your molds (in our case padanas leaves made into 3cm squares and stapled
7. In a heave bottomed pot WITHOUT heat mix together the corn flour, salt, water and coconut cream
8. Put the mix on a medium heat and keep moving
9. Once the mix resembles a white icing mix take off the heat and quickly top up the molds to make the ‘snow’ on the grass. Refrigerate
10. Once the mix is chilled remove from the molds to expose the snow and the grass and serve

Pork fried bread

1. Make the paste by pounding in a mortar the white pepper corns until powder
2. In a bowl massage 1 egg, 1 tab paste, white sugar and soy sauce into the pork
3. Spread the pork mix onto the white bread to a thickness of about 2mm ensuring you go all the way to the sides. Prepare all the bread and put to one side
4. Break the remaining eggs into a bowl and beat until combined
5. Heat the deep frying oil on a high heat to a high temperature and then reduce to medium
6. Place the top (pork side) of each piece of bread (only egging the top) in the egg mix and then top down into the deep fryer
7. Fry until the top is golden brown and then turn over and fry until golder brown
8. turn the heat to high and fry for an additional 30seconds on high and remove quickly.  Serve

This can be served with a  dipping sauce of finely chopped baby cucumber, red spur chillies and red onion immersed in sugar syrup.  Offsets the oil nicely and makes this dish more ‘adult’.

Stir fry vegetables, Northern Thai style

This dish you can use any vegetables you like.  It is made quickly to maintain the colour and texture of the vegetables.  Below is a suggestion of vegetables only.

1. Quickly blanch all the vegetables and put to one side to drain
2. Quickly, in a wok put vegetable oil on a high heat
3. Add garlic, and cook until it starts to turn golden brown
4. Throw in all the vegetables and toss quickly to combine with oil and garlic
5. Add soy, oyster and sugar. Toss until the sugar is dissolved, if the sauce is too dry add more stock. Taste and adjust
6. If you want to thicken up the sauce (Chinese style) add a few drops from a 1 Tab corn flour/2 Tab cold water mix and mix in.  Ad more if the sauce require to be more thick
7. Serve

Roast duck curry

1. Make the paste by pounding in a mortar the white pepper corns, coriander seed and cumin seed until powder
2. Add dried chillies, bird’s eye chillies and salt and pound until it makes a paste
3. Add lemongrass, coriander root, garlic, onion, galangal, kaffir lime and pound to a paste
4. Add shrimp paste and stir in to paste. Put the paste to one side
5. On a high heat put oil in a wok
6. Add paste to the wok and keep moving until the oil changes colour
7. Turn the heat to medium and add 1/2 the coconut cream. Cook until the red oil forms around the bubbles. Ensure it doesn’t burn by moving the mix occasionally (you still want to see the oil forming around the bubbles)
8. Add the duck and pineapple. Allow to come to the boil again
9. Add remaining coconut cream, and stock. Wait for the mix to come to a vigorous boil
10. Add pea eggplant, tomatoes, grapes, and chillies. bring back tot he boil. If the mix starts to dry out or there isn’t enough liquid for a curry when serving, add a little more stock now
11. Turn heat to low and add fish sauce, and palm sugar. Dissolve the sugar and ‘taste and adjust’
12. Add the sweet basil leaves and mix into the curry while still on the heat. Turn heat off and serve

These two dishes take some time to prepare but the time is worth it.  The tastes and textures in these dishes are great and are something we haven’t covered before in the course.  Give these two a go.

Day 26 – Deep fried egg noodles, Northern style
Day 26 – Stir fry prawn rice with fresh pineapple

Deep fried egg noodles, Northern style

1. Make the paste by pounding in a mortar the white pepper corns until powder
2. Add dried chillies and salt and pound until it makes a paste
3. Add lemongrass, garlic, onion, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime and pound to a paste
4. Add shrimp paste and stir in to paste. Put the paste to one side
5. Deep fry 1/2 the noodles until they are brown and put to one side to drain
6. Quickly wash in cold water the other 1/2 of noodles to remove flour and put to one side
7. In a pot on a high heat put the oil
8. Reduce to a medium heat and add the paste to the pot and cook until fragrant
9. Add chicken and curry powder.  Cook for 60 seconds
10. Add the coconut cream, fish sauce and palm sugar.  Dissolve sugar and taste
11. Increase the heat and wait for mix to come to a vigorous boil and take off the heat
12. Accompaniment 1: Heat oil until it is hot. Put chilli powder in and allow to bubble for approximately 30 seconds. Take off heat and put in a small dish for serving
13. Accompaniment 2: Chop the greens and place in a small bowl for serving
14. Accompaniment 3: Place coursley chopped pickled cabbage in a small bowl for serving
15. Serve in a large bowl and top with deep fried noodles and 3 accompaniments as side dishes. The side dishes should be tipped in before eating.

Stir fry prawn rice with fresh pineapple

1. Deep fry the Chinese sausage and put to one side to drain
2. the next piece has to be done quickly as the garlic and the prawns do not like to be cooked for too long.  Keep the mix moving until the rice is added to prevent over cooking.  You can then mix to distribute heat and colour through the rice
3. In a wok put vegetable oil on a high heat
4. Add garlic, fry until fragrant
5. Reduce heat to medium and put prawns in wok.  Cook until nearly fully cooked
6. Add coconut cream and cook until simmering
7. Add pineapple, turmeric powder and onion.  Mix powder through
8. Add rice and, using big sweeping motions fold the colour through the rice
9. Add the curry powder and fold in and serve.  The pineapple here is cut in half and the meat is removed with a knife cutting from the edge at 45 deg and then through the middle at 90 deg.  This meat is used in the dish.

Day 25 was great (another great one).  the deep fried crab was to die for, the fish with the sticky sauce was phenomenal (regardless of the fish looking like it’s been attached by other fish) and the pork….. OMG really great.  Here is the menu from today:
Sour fish soup (Gaeng Son Puu Ruam)
Thai salad with green apple and pork
Deep fried fish with sticky sour sauce
Deep fried Blue Crab

Deep fried Blue Crab

1. In a mortar pound white pepper until it is a powder
2. Add garlic and coriander root and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. In a bowl add crab meat, chicken, soy sauce, white sugar, and onion.  Massage mix until well combined
4. Either create balls (about 3cm in radius) and place into individual ceramic containers or fill a crab shell.
5. Place meat in a steamer for approximately 15 minutes
6. Remove from steamer and coat all exposed meat with egg mix
7. Place egg covered crab in hot oil to deep fry. Remove when golden brown

Deep fried fish with sticky sour sauce

1. In a mortar pound dried chillies until they form a paste
2. Add bird’s eye chillies, garlic and red onion and pound to a paste. Put to one side
3. Remove any unnecessary liquid from fish by patting down with paper towel. Deep fry on a high heat the fish until they are crispy by placing whole in very hot oil. Remove the fish and put aside to drain
4. In a wok on a high heat put vegetable oil
5. Put paste in the wok and cook until the oil has the colour from the paste. Make sure you keep the paste moving
6. Turn the heat down to medium, add tamarind, sugar, salt and stock
7. Dissolve the sugar, taste, adjust and remove from the heat. If the mix dries out too much add a little stock. This need to be a sticky sauce for covering the fish
8. Place fish on a plate and serve cover with sauce. You can make a little dipping sauce by finely cutting up 1 tab red onion, 1 tsp finely chopped red spur chillies and 3 tab finely cut young cucumber with 1 tsp of white wine vineger

Thai salad with green apple and pork neck

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl
2. Add meat to bowl and, using your hands, massage marinade into meat
3. Allow the meat to sit for at least 1 hour. Otherwise, leave uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours (it must dry out in this time)
4. If you have left the meat to sit then, put the meat in the oven, uncovered and separated at 200degC for 20 minutes
5. In a mortar (while fish is cooking, if you haven’t made this already for today’s recipes) pound salt and chillies until they are a paste
6. Add lemongrass, garlic and red onion and pound to a paste
7. Add shrimp paste to the mortar and mix in
8. Put to one side
9. Cut green apple into 2mm slices and place in salted water
10. In a wok heat vegetable oil
11. Add Paste to wok and cook until starts to change colour
12. Turn heat down to medium and add onion.  Cook quickly until the heat is removed from the wok
13. Turn heat to low and add sugar syrup and fish sauce.  Cook until the mix is a delicious brown sauce. Take off the heat
14. Cut the meat into 2mm slices and serve on a plate.  Cover with the sticky sauce from above and dress with green apple, red onion and any other condiments you desire

Bring a wok on a medium heat. Dry roast the 1/2 cup of sticky rice, 6 Kaffir lime leaves, and 2 lemongrass whites (finely chopped) for 8-10 minutes until very brown or if you want it smokier, allow it to reach a light grey colour.  Ensure you keep the mix moving throughout the process.

Transfer to a mortar and pound to a fine powder. This can also be done in a spice or coffee grinder.  It is best used fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place for several weeks.  Allow to cool before transferring to a container.

Sour fish soup (Gaeng Son Puu Ruam)

I need to come clean about this one….  On first taste I wasn’t a fan, it was just finished and way too ‘fishy’ for my tastes.  We then put it aside for a 15 minutes to cool and then put it in the fridge overnight. It was reheated the next day, the sharp flavours had calmed down and it was great.  In the UK it would have to go into the fridge covered straight off the stove.  This would be a problem because it cools uncovered and vents some of the unpleasant flavours (I can only assume similar to wine and the sulfur dioxide etc) I think this is important.  I would try putting it in the fridge uncovered to cool and then cover overnight.

1. In a pot boil chicken stock
2. On a medium heat place fish and finger ginger in stock
3. In a mortar (while fish is cooking, if you haven’t made this already for today’s recipes) pound salt and chillies until they are a paste
4. Add lemongrass, garlic and red onion and pound to a paste
5. Add shrimp paste to the mortar and mix in
6. Remove paste from mortar (DO NOT CLEAN) and put to one side
7. Remove fish from stock and place in mortar.  Stir and mix until the fish is a paste in the mortar.  Remove any bones in this process
8. In the stock put the chilli/garlic and white radish. Stir and allow to cook for 2 minutes
9. Add melon to the stock and cook for an additional 1 minute
10. Put in tamarind sauce, humming bird flower and 1 tablespoon of fish mix (from mortar)
11. Turn heat down to low and add sugar and fish sauce.  Taste and adjust.
12. Turn off heat (with soup uncovered) and place in a fridge for 15 minutes.  Cover and leave overnight for best results.

The bird’s nests today where a great little starter.  They did give rise to the question ‘why some much time for a lot of enjoyment in a short period of time’.  You can draw your’ own conclusions from that but here is today’s menu:

Bird’s nest (Rhoom)
Clear fish soup (Tom Sum Plah)
Drunken Noodles
Stir fry beef with oyster sauce (Nua Nan Mum Hoi)
Ruby in coconut cream

Bird’s nest (Rhoom)

The making the bird’s nest is here

This makes about 5 serves….

1. Take the chicken eggs and break into a bowl (preferably without shell:-))
2. Beat eggs until well combined
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan to hot. Put 1/2 Tab of oil in to the pan. Using paper towel distribute oil around entire pan and remove almost all the oil
4. As in this video, using your hands, create the bird’s nest in the pan. Take note the way the chef uses his hand to gather the egg and release it with his fingers spread across the pan. Expect to have 2 – 3 failures. Remove each nest by finding a strong point of egg on the side of the nest and prying the nest off when cooked. Create at least 3 nests (15 for all the mix from above) and put to one side
5. In a mortar pound the white pepper into a powder
6. Pound coriander and garlic until they are a paste.  Put to one side
7. On a high heat in a wok put 2 Tab of oil
8. Put contents of mortar into the pan.  Keep moving and cook until fragrant (very quick)
9. Add chicken mince and cook mince until it is 75% cooked (a little pink).  Ensure you keep the mince moving
10. Add onion and combine in wok
11. Turn heat down to medium and add nuts, fish sauce and sugar. Combine and cook until the mix darkens. Taste and adjust
12. Turn off heat and put to one side.  Allow to cool slightly (so it can be handled)
13. Take one of your bird’s nests and put on a flat surface. Take 3-4 coriander leaves and create a base in the middle of the nest.  Put about 1 Tab of the mix on coriander leaves. Fold nest over the mix.  Roll nest over the mix and fold the two arms on either side of the mix under.  Cut off any extra ‘nest’ and serve with some fresh lettuce

Clear fish soup (Tom Sum Plah)

1. To make the paste add the White pepper corns to a mortar and pound to a powder
2. Add salt, coriander root and onion and pound to a paste
3. Add shrimp paste and mix. put to one side
4. In a pot on a medium heat boil stock
5. Add the 1Tab of the paste from above and boil until combined
6. Add mushrooms and ginger.  Mix and bring back to the boil
7. Add fish fillet.
8. Allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes.  Skim any scum from the top of the soup
9. Add fish sauce and palm sugar.  Dissolve sugar and taste and adjust
10. Add red spur chilli and spring onion and serve

Drunken Noodles

The story behind these noodles is ‘you have to be drunk to eat them’. Personally I think they were OK but at the end of the day you are in charge of your own spiciness, make it as hot or as not as you like.

Marinade (6 portions)

1. Slice the beef into thin slices and put to one side
2. In a bowl mix together all the marinade ingredients.
3. Add beef to bowl. This can be left covered in the fridge overnight (best) or more than 1 hour
4. In a mortar put the Chillies and garlic together.  Smash them until the chillies are broken up and mixed with the garlic.  Put to one side
5. Once the beef has sat for a period; in a wok heat the vegetable oil on a high heat
6. On a high heat put oil in a wok add 1 Tab of garlic/chilli mix (more or less to your taste).  Turn the heat down to medium
7. Add beef and cook until it is 50% done  (Centre still very pink).
8. Add kaffir lime leaves, fresh pepper corns, and carrot.  Mix and wait 30 seconds.
9. Add chicken stock, sugar, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Taste and adjust
10. Add hot basil quickly stir and serve

 Stir fry beef with oyster sauce (Nua Nan Mum Hoi)

1. Slice the beef into thin slices and put to one side
2. In a bowl mix together all the marinade ingredients.
3. Add beef to bowl. This can be left covered in the fridge overnight (best) or more than 1 hour
4. Once the beef has sat for a period; in a wok heat the vegetable oil on a high heat
5. Turn the wok down to a medium heat and add garlic.  Heat until the garlic is fragrant (very quick)
6. Add the 80g of beef and cook until the beef is 10% done (brown around the edges)
7. Add stock and mix with beef. Once the stock is boiling. If this mix starts to dry out add more stock
8. Add light soy, pepper and sugar. Taste and adjust
9. Turn the heat down add dark soy for colour, chillies and spring onion
10. Add a splash of vegetable oil for shine and serve