Appetizer: Stuffed Cabbage with Lemongrass and Chilies

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4 Servings

2 pounds green cabbage, tough out leaves removed, cored

Paste

1 1/2 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked, seeded and deveined

1/2 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

2 kaffir lime leaves

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

1/2 cup water

Other ingredients

1pound ground pork

a large egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 small chili, seeded, and finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Place the cabbage in the boiling water, bring the water back to a boil and blanch the cabbage for about 15 minutes or until the leaves are tender.  Remove the cabbage and set aside to cool down.

Put the ground pork in a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup of the spice paste, leaving the rest in the blender.  Mix thoroughly, add the egg, coconut milk, sugar, salt and chili; then mix it well.

Carefully remove about 20 of the leaves from the cooled cabbage, keeping them whole.  Cut each leaf in half lengthwise and cut away the center vein where it is too thick to fold easily.  Place a heaping tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of each leaf, folding in the sides first and then the top and bottom to make a small packet about 3 inches by 2 inches.  You should be able to make 18 to 20 packets.

Add the chicken broth to the leftover past in the blender and swirl to blend.

To bake the packets, arrange the stuffed cabbage seam side down in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.  Make two layers if necessary.  Pour the broth-paste mixture over the top of the cabbage.  Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Baste them occasionally.  They are ready to serve when you press down on the cabbage packets and they are firm.

To cook on the stove top, heat 1/4 cup oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add the stuffed cabbage, pour the broth-paste mixture over it, turn the packet occasionally and lower the heat slightly and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are nicely browned and firm to the touch.  Serve them immediately.

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Soup: Chicken and Galangal in Coconut Milk Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

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Ingredients for 4 servings

4 cups coconut milk

2 stalks lemongrass, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces and smashed

6 thin slices of fresh or frozen galangal

1 pound chicken breast halves, deboned and skinned

4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, deveined the center

6 small fresh red or green chili peppers, lightly smashed

1/2 cup coconut cream

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

Coriander springs for garnish

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk over medium heat until gently simmering.  Add lemongrass and galangal and simmer for 5 minutes without cover.

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.  Add to simmering coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is just firm while stirring frequently.  Put lime leaves, chili peppers, and coconut cream and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the fish sauce and the lime juice.  Make 4 multi-course servings.

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Soup: Sour Beef Soup with Watercress

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Paste for 4 servings

1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

6 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

7 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup water

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds sirloin tips, sliced 1/4 inch thick and wide

1 tablespoon fermented fish (optional)

3 1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1/2 cup tamarind juice

1/2 pound Chinese watercress or regular watercress, cut 1-inch pieces

4 branches curry leaves (sluk katrope), toasted

Thinly slice bird’s eye chilies

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.

Heat the oil in the stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the past, beef and fermented fish, if using, and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until the the flavors are released while stirring constantly.  Add the water, sugar, fish sauce, and salt and bring to a boil,  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the the beef is tender.

Add the tamarind juice, watercress and toasted curry leaves and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl and serve with rice with chilies on the side.

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Soup: Sour Spareribs Soup with Coconut Milk and Pineapple

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Paste for 4 servings

2 tablespoons thinly slice lemongrass

2 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked, seeded and deveined

10 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 pieces rhizome, each about 3 inches long coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro stems

1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped

2/3 water

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1-1 1/4 pounds spareribs, separated and cut in half across the bone, or fresh ham, cut into 1-inch cubes.

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

1 small slightly underriped pineapple, peeled, cored, slice 1/4 inch thick and julienned (about 1 pound)

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon fish powder (optional)

1/2 cup tamarind juice

5 fresh Kaffir lime leaves

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until it smooth, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add 1/2 cup to the coconut milk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil separates from the milk.  Add the lemongrass paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the flavors are released, stirring often.  Add the pork, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and shrimp paste.  Cook it for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the pineapple to the pot along with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk, chicken broth, fish powder (If using), and tamarind juice, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes or until the spareribs are tender.  Add the last 5 whole lime leaves, stir and serve with rice.

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Appetizer: Broiled Clams with Lemongrass

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Paste for 4 servings

1 dried New Mexico chili, soaked, seeded and deveined

1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 large shallot, coarsely chopped

5 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

1 teaspoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 chili pepper

1/2 cup water

Other ingredients

1 dozen medium littleneck clams in the shell

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely ground

Cilantro springs for garnish

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. 

Scrub and shuck the clams.  Lay out half the shells on broiler pan and place one clam in each shell.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the paste, coconut milk, sugar, salt and fish sauce.  Cook about 8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of ketchup.   Spoon the sauce over the clams and sprinkle with the ground peanuts.

Preheat the grill or broiler.  Position a rack about 6 inched from the heat.  grill or broil the clams for 4 to 6 minutes or until heated thoroughly but still tender.  top with sprigs of cilantro and serve immediately.

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Appetizer: Grilled Beef with Lemongrass Paste

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Materials

16 wooden or metal skewers

Ingredients for 16 skewers

PASTE

1 stalk lemongrass, thinly slice

2 large shallots, coarsely shopped

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup water

Others

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

11/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

11/4 pounds boneless sirloin steak, cut into pieces 11/2-inch long by 11/4-inch wide and 1/4-inch thick.

1/3 cup peanuts, roasted and finely ground

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.  Combine the paste in a bowl with the oil, sugar, and salt.

Add sirloin and stir to coat thoroughly  with the paste.  Allow to marinate for at lest an hour at room temperature or as long as overnight in the refrigerator.

Note

This grilled beef can be served with rice, a pickled side dish.  You can substitute the beef with pork.  This grilled beef is wonderful not just for appetizer, but also the entree, served with rice.

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Appetizer: Fish Cakes (Taud Man Pla)

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Ingredients (for 6 servings)

1 small cucumber

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

2 small fresh red chili peppers, remove seeds, and chopped

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 pound cod or white fish fillets, skinned

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of red curry paste

One 1/2-inch piece fresh or frozen galangal, finely chopped

1 egg

8 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and finely shredded

2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

Score cucumber, remove seeds, thinly slice and place in bowl.  Dissolve sugar in water and pour over cucumber.

Add chili peppers, vinegar,salt, and shallot and refrigerate until ready to use.

Check fish fillets to make sure there is no bones.  cut fish into 1-inch pieces.  Chop the fish or use food processor to process fish for 10 seconds.  Add fish sauce, curry paste, galangal, egg, lime leaves, and pepper and mix all of them well.  Wet hand with water.  Form into 12 balls, then flatten into 1/4 inch-thick patties.

Heat a wok with oil to 375 Fahrenheit. Fry fish cakes for 5 minutes or until golden brown, 3 to 4 at a time.  Serve with cucumber-chili mixture.  Makes 6 multi servings.

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Appetizer: Green Curry with Chicken and Thai Eggplant

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(Gaeng Keo Wan Gai)

Ingredients for 4 servings

1 pound chicken breast halves, skinned

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup green curry paste

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1 cup Thai eggplant

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

2 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and finely shredded

2 fresh green chili peppers, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

Preparation

Cut chicken through the bone into small pieces (1-inch size recommended)

Heat the wok and put oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add 1 tablespoon curry paste and 1/4 cup coconut milk.  Stir it constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until oil is visible on the surface.  Add the remaining past and 1/4 cup coconut mild and continue stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Add chicken and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture almost dry.  Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and water and simmer gently over medium heat with no cover for 10 minutes.  Add eggplant, fish sauce and sugar, and continue stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until eggplant is just tender.

Add lime leaves, chilies, remaining coconut milk and basil leaves.  Continue stirring constantly for 1 minute or until heated through.  Then serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

Tips

You can use the pea-sized baby or the normal-size Thai eggplant (about golf ball size), darker green in color.  For baby eggplant, you need to score them with a small ’X’ mark or pound them lightly with the back of a knife before use.  For the normal size, you need to cut them into four pieces (quarters) before using.  If you can not find any of them, use fresh or frozen green peas.

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Appetizer: Mussels in a Clay Pot

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Ingredients for 4 servings

21/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

1 cup fish stock

4 stalks lemongrass, cut into 21/2-inch pieces and smashed

8 medium shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

9 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined

6 garlic cloves, chopped

3 small fresh red chili peppers, chopped

3 fresh green chili pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Preparation

Wash and drain mussels in several changes of cold water,  Discard any that have opened. 

Pour fish stock into a 21/2-quart clay pot.  In layers in the pot, arrange one-third of the mussels, one-third of the lemongrass, one-third of the shallots, on-third of the basil leaves, and one-third of the lime leaves.  Continue to make layers with remaining mussels, lemongrass, shallots, basil, and lime leaves. 

Cover pot and bring to a boil over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Increase heat to high for 5 to 6 minutes or until mussels have fully opened.  Discard any that do not open.

With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, chilies, salt, and sugar until mashed into a paste.  Stir in lemon juice and sprinkle with the coriander.  Serve the paste as a condiment with the mussels.  Make 4 servings.

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Thai Curry: Beef Curry (Panaeng Nuea)

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Ingredients for 4 servings

11/2 pounds beef sirloin, trimmed

1 cup coconut cream

1/3 cup curry paste

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined, finely shredded

20 fresh Thai basil leaves

1/3 cup shelled roasted unsalted peanuts, ground

2 small fresh red chili peppers, thinly sliced

Chili flowers for garnish

Preparation

Cut beef into 2-inch-wide strips, and cut each strip into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Then set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat, bring 1/3 cup coconut cream to a boil.  Add the curry past and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until fragrant.  Add remaining 2/3 cup coconut cream and stir constantly for 1 minute or until blended and creamy.  Add beef and stir for 1 minute.

Add water and bring to a boil and stir constantly until beef is no longer pink  Add sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, lime leaves, and basil leaves and simmer over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring it constantly or until the beef is tender.

Add remaining fish sauce, peanuts, and chili.  The sauce should be thick and creamy with a slight film of oil on top.  Garnish chili flowers.

Serve it with rice.  Make 4 servings.

Note

The beef can be substituted with chicken or another meat.  There are  no vegetables in this kind of curry.

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