Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the skillet if it is dry, and increase the heat to high. Add the bean sprouts, sprinkle with salt and ground pepper to taste, and stir-fry quickly just to heat through, about 30 seconds.
To serve, place each pancake in the center of a plate. Top with the bean sprouts, some cilantro, and a grind of fresh pepper. Serve with a sweet-and-sour sauce of your choice.
Serves 2–4
I know these sound weird, but you have to trust me on this. They're great! The slightly herbed pancakes make a perfect foil for the subtle taste of the mussels.
Chicken, Shrimp, and Beef Satay
Chicken
1 recipe Thai Marinade (see recipes in Chapter 1)
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long strips about ½-inch wide
1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce (see recipes in Chapter 2)
Thread the chicken strips onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers. Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them until they are cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.
Shrimp
1 recipe Thai Marinade
24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce
Thread the shrimp onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers (about 3 shrimp per skewer). Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the shrimp for at least 15 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.
Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them often until just opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.
Makes 4–6 chicken skewers or 6–8 shrimp or beef skewers
Satays are served hot but are almost as delicious at room temperature, and they go great with a cold beer. Don't forget to have a lot of peanut sauce!
Beef
1 recipe Thai Marinade
1-1½ pounds sirloin steak, fat and sinew removed, cut into ½-inch-wide strips
1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce
Thread the beef strips onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers. Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight.
Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them often until done to your liking, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium.
Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.
The Origin of Satay
Satay was first introduced to Thailand by Arab traders from the Middle East.
Shrimp Toast
8 slices of white bread, left to sit out overnight, crusts removed
½ pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and coarsely chopped
¼ pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
32 slices cucumber
In a small bowl, combine the shrimp and pork; set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the cilantro, garlic, cayenne, and salt. Pour the spice mixture over the shrimp and pork, and combine.
Stir in the beaten egg and soy sauce; mix well. Divide the mixture into 8 parts.
Smoothly spread a thin layer of the mixture on each slice of bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Heat ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil in nonstick skillet. When it is very hot, place 1 piece of bread, meat side down, in the oil. Cook until golden in color, then remove to a paper towel, blotting any excess oil. Repeat for all of the bread sides.
Cut each slice of bread into quarters and top each quarter with a cucumber slice.
Yields 32 pieces
The pork in this recipe not only adds a bit of extra flavor, but also helps to bind the ingredients together. You could also use ground chicken or turkey if you don't want the pork.
Pork Toast Triangles
¼ pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound ground pork (the leaner the better)
1 egg
1 tablespoon fish sauce
6 slices day-old bread, crusts trimmed off
Vegetable oil for frying
Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp are opaque. Drain the shrimp and let cool to room temperature. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Place the dried shrimp, cilantro, and the garlic in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Add the reserved shrimp and ground pork; process again. Add the egg and fish sauce and process once more.
Spread the mixture evenly over each slice of bread. Cut the bread into 4 equal slices, either from corner to corner forming triangles or from top to bottom forming squares.
Add approximately ½ inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet. Bring the oil to approximately 375 degrees over medium-high heat. Place 4 to 5 toasts in the oil, filling side down. Make sure that the toasts are not crowded in the oil or they will not brown evenly. After the filling side is nicely browned, use a slotted spoon or metal strainer to flip the toasts. Watch the toasts carefully, as the bottoms will brown quickly. Remove the toasts to a stack of paper towels to drain. Carefully pat the tops of the toasts with paper towels to remove any oil.
Serve the toasts with sweet-and-sour or plum sauce.
Yields 24 pieces
Similar in concept to the Shrimp Toast, this recipe features pork and uses the shrimp as the primary accent flavor, resulting in a milder overall taste.
Mee Krob
cup honey
cup rice or white vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
2–3 drops red food coloring
1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 eggs, beaten
½ pound thin rice stick noodles, broken into handfuls
½ cup dried shrimp
1 cup bean sprouts
10 small lime wedges
Combine the honey, vinegar, sugar, food coloring, and tamarind in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken; remove from heat and set aside.
Bring about 3 inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees in a deep fryer or skillet. Drop a single layer of the rice stick noodles into the hot oil, making sure to leave enough room for them to cook evenly. Turn the noodles with a slotted spoon as soon as they begin to puff up. As soon as the noodles are golden, remove them to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all of the noodles are cooked.
Add the dried shrimp to the oil and cook for 45 seconds or so. Remove to paper towels.
Pour out all but a thin coat of the oil from the skillet. Add the beaten eggs and stir-fry them quickly, shirring them into long strips. As soon as they are cooked, remove them to paper towels.
Bring the sauce back to a boil. Stir in the shrimp and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
Place about of the noodles on a serving platter and spoon about of the sauce over the top; gently toss to coat the noodles evenly being careful not to crush the noodles. Repeat until all of the noodles are coated in sauce.
To serve, mound the noodles, place the egg strips over them, and top with the bean sprouts. Pass the lime wedges.
Serves 4–6
This dish has a royal background, but is now an everyday Thai staple. Mee krob is usually served either as an appetizer or as a noodle salad, but I like to eat it as a snack.
Son-in-Law Eggs
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¼ cup vegetable oil
10 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
2 shallots, thinly sliced
cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
cup Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Dried hot chili flakes to taste
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the whole eggs in the skillet and fry until golden brown. Remove the eggs to paper towels and set aside. (If your skillet can't hold all of the eggs comfortably, do this in batches.)
Add the shallots to the skillet and sauté until just beginning to brown. Remove the shallots from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Put the brown sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind in the skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.
Cut the eggs in half vertically and place them face-up on a rimmed serving dish. Spread the shallots over the eggs and then drizzle the eggs with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and chili pepper flakes.
The Secret to Making Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
The perfect hard-boiled egg has a delicate white and a fully cooked yolk, without even a hint of the unattractive gray shadow that affects an improperly cooked egg. The perfect hard-boiled egg is also easy to peel. To achieve this, put the eggs in enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch and boil for 1 minute only. Then remove from heat, cover, and let them sit for 15 minutes. Then, transfer the eggs to a bath of ice water for 15 to 20 minutes. They should then peel easily.
Yields 20
A version of deviled eggs with all of the characteristic Thai flavors — sweet, sour, salty, and spicy — these eggs make a delightful addition to a picnic basket, a summer barbecue, or as a quick snack.
Salt-Cured Eggs
6 cups water
1½ cups salt
1 dozen eggs
Combine the water and the salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Carefully place the eggs in a container. Pour the salt water over the eggs and seal the container tightly. Place the container in the refrigerator and let the eggs cure for at least 1 month.
To serve, hard-boil the eggs, let cool to room temperature, then peel, slice, and enjoy.
Yields 1 dozen eggs
Salt-cured eggs are delicious as is — just peel and eat. I used them for Easter eggs this year, much to the delight of my husband, who is a real hard-boiled egg fan. They were beautiful and tasted great.
3-Flavor Rice Sticks
1 pound rice sticks, broken into 3-inch segments
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste
Curry powder to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Pour 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat to 350 degrees. Fry the rice sticks in batches (making sure not to overcrowd the pan), turning them quickly as they puff up. After they stop crackling in the oil, transfer the puffed sticks to paper towels to drain.
While the rice sticks are still hot, sprinkle salt on 1 batch; sprinkle a second batch with curry powder; and a third batch with cayenne pepper to taste.
Serves 4–6
These crunchy sticks are irresistible: I challenge you to eat just a handful! Don't be shy about experimenting with other spice blends or flavoring agents.
Thai Fries
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
4 green plantains
1 pound taro root
1 cup rice flour
1 cup sticky rice flour
Water
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 14-ounce bag shredded sweetened coconut
Peel the root vegetables and cut them into flat -inch-thick strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
Combine the flours in a large mixing bowl and stir in ½ cup of water. Continue adding water ¼ cup at a time until a mixture resembling pancake batter is formed. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Fill a medium-sized saucepan a third to a half full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
Add some of the vegetables to the batter, coating them well. Using a slotted spoon or Asian strainer, place the vegetables in the hot oil. (Be careful here: The oil may spatter.) Fry the vegetables, turning them occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer the fried vegetables to a stack of paper towels to drain, then serve immediately.
Serves 4–8
A great finger food super for casual gettogethers, these fried vegetables sometimes never leave the kitchen because sneaky fingers grab them right off the paper towels! They are that good!
Spicy Coconut Bundles
1 cup shredded fresh coconut
cup brown sugar
cup shrimp paste
½ cup diced red onion
½ cup chopped lime segments
½ cup chopped peanuts
½ cup dried shrimp
1–2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced
20–25 medium-sized spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
Place the coconut in a medium-sized sauté pan and cook over medium heat until browned, about 20 minutes; set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Mix in the shrimp paste until well combined. Set the sauce aside.
Place the coconut, onion, lime pieces, peanuts, dried shrimp, and jalapeños in a medium-sized serving bowl; gently toss to combine.
To serve, place 4 to 5 spinach leaves (depending on the size of the leaves) on each serving plate. Top each leaf with approximately 1 tablespoon of the coconut mixture and drizzle a bit of sauce over the coconut.
To eat, roll up the spinach leaf around the coconut mixture and pop the whole bundle in your mouth. Pass additional sauce separately.
Serves 4
These fun, “make it yourself” bundles are one of my favorite snacks. They are packed full of flavor and texture — so much so that it's probably not a bad idea to make a double recipe!
Curried Fish Cakes
¼ cup chopped shallots
¼ cup chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped lemongrass, inner portion only
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
½ teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
5–10 dried chilies, seeded, soaked, and shredded
½ tablespoon salt
1 pound boneless whitefish steak, minced
1 egg, beaten
½ pound French beans, trimmed and finely chopped
Vegetable oil for frying
Place the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, peppercorns, lime peel, shrimp paste, chilies, and salt in a food processor or blender and process to form a smooth paste.
Add the fish to the food processor and pulse until well combined with the spice paste. Add the beaten egg and combine once more. Transfer the fish mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the green beans.
Using approximately 1 tablespoon of fish mixture, form a flat, round cake; repeat until all of the mixture is used.
Heat approximately to ¼ inch of vegetable oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat in a skillet or deep fryer; fry the fish cakes until golden.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Yields 15–20 small cakes
One of my favorite dishes growing up was my mother's salmon cakes. Here is a Thai version. Whitefish is used so that the lemongrass and ginger aren't overpowered by the fish.
Spicy Scallops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 (½-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and minced
teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
8 large scallops, cleaned
In a pan large enough to hold all of the scallops, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and ginger, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
Add the coriander, soy sauce, and water, stirring to combine; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Allow the pan to cool slightly.
Add the scallops to the pan and spoon the reserved liquid over the top of them. Return the pan to the stove, increasing the heat to medium-high. Cover the pan and let the scallops steam for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until done to your liking. Serve immediately.
Cleaning Out Whole Scallops
If you buy scallops whole, there is an easy way to clean out the meat! Simply put the scallops on ice for about 10 minutes, which will cause them to open up. Then, using a sturdy tablespoon, slide the spoon in-between the open shell and twist open. Then use the spoon to scoop out the meat — that's it!
Serves 4
These scallops are simple to make but are sure to impress even your most fussy guests. They are also tasty over pasta as a main course. Make sure to use the freshest scallops you can find.
Spicy Ground Pork in Basil Leaves
Juice of 1–2 limes
½ pound ground pork
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 shallot, thinly sliced
¼ tablespoon (or to taste) ground dried chili pepper
5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted rice powder (available in Asian specialty stores)
Lettuce and/or large basil leaves
Squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the ground pork and let marinate for a few minutes.
Heat a large skillet on high. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and then immediately add the pork; stir-fry until the pork is cooked through. (Don't worry if the pork sticks at first — it will eventually loosen.)
Pour off any fat that has accumulated in the pan and then put the pork in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining lime juice (to taste), fish sauce, shallot, ground chili pepper, cilantro, and toasted rice; stir to combine thoroughly.
THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK Page 5