Thai - Drunken Chicken Wings, “Peek Gai Mao Daeng”
In Thai mao means drunk (kimao means to be drunk), and daeng means red. Peek gai are chicken wings for serving as finger food.
Ingredients
1.5 pounds chicken wings
Marinade
1 tablespoon fish sauce
quarter cup thinly sliced lemongrass
10-15 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly milled black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped Thai chili peppers
1/4 cup chopped coriander/cilantro (including roots if possible)
1/4 cup tomato ketchup (or Thai ketchup)
1/4 cup whiskey (preferably bourbon or Mekong whiskey)
Method
Mix the marinade, stir the wings until thoroughly coated and leave to marinade for 12-24 hours in the fridge.
Barbecue or grill the wings over fairly high heat until cooked through.
Serve with a dipping sauce that consists of 4 parts mayonnaise, 4 parts tomato ketchup to one part sriracha sauce.
Fresh Thai Spring Rolls
2 chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks, about 3 inches long
4-6 kaffir lime leaves, cut into very fine slivers
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch long slivers
1 cup bean sprouts
8 Lumpia wrappers
Plum Sauce
½ cup chopped pan roasted peanuts
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
Poach chicken breasts in chicken broth till just cooked through. Allow to cool in the broth, remove skin and bones and discard. Using 2 forks finely shred the chicken. Set aside.
Beat eggs with the salt. Very lightly coat a non-stick skillet or wok with peanut oil. Pour in a small amount of the eggs just to cover the bottom of pan and allow eggs to set. Raise the edges of “omelet” to allow any liquid eggs to run under and cook. Turn over and quickly allow second side to set. Slide to a plate and repeat with remaining eggs. The “omelets” should be very thin. Cut into 3 inch long slivers. Set aside.
Lay 1 lumpia wrapper on work surface on a diagonal. On bottom 1/3 of wrapper closest to you place small amount of shredded chicken, egg slivers, cucumber matchsticks, kaffir lime leaves, green onions, and bean sprouts. Fold bottom of wrapper over filling, then fold over each side and roll up. The spring roll should be about 4 inches long. Repeat with remaining lumpia wrappers. Place seam side down and with very sharp knife or serrated knife cut each into 4 pieces. Arrange on serving platter, seam side down. Spoon a small amount of plum sauce over each. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
Serve at room temperature. If you are holding them lightly cover with plastic wrap, before adding the plum sauce and peanuts, to keep from drying out.
Garlic Shrimp
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves & stems
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled, de-veined and soaked in sea salt bath for 10 minute and then drained and rinsed well
1-2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, to taste
A few fresh cilantro leaves
Grind the peppercorns to a fine powder in spice grinder or mortar & pestle. Combine the pepper, cilantro and garlic and work into a fairly smooth paste in a mortar & pestle.
Heat a wok or medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the surface. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, add the shrimp and stir-fry until they begin to color on all sides, about 1 minute. Add the garlic/cilantro paste and stir-fry until it coats the shrimp and begins to cook, about 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and toss the shrimp for another 15 seconds to mix it in.
Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve.
Thai Prawn and Pineapple Curry, “Kaeng Khua Saparot”
1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons of chopped tomato
2 cups of coconut milk
1 cup pineapple (cubed or pulped)
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
16 prawns about 3" long
2-3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1 tablespoon Thai chili peppers, slivered
15 fresh basil leaves
Method
Peel, de-vein, and behead the shrimp, leaving only the small tail shells on. Drop two tomatoes into boiling water for about a minute, then remove to cold water, peel, quarter, discard the seed pulp, and chop the flesh. You want 2 tablespoons of chopped tomatoes.
In a little oil in a medium hot wok briefly sauté the garlic and basil; remove it and reserve it when the aroma is fully developed. Cook the curry paste briefly to develop the aroma, then add half the coconut milk, the fish sauce, tomatoes, pineapple, lime juice and sugar. Stir to combine fully. Add the prawns and cook until they turn slightly pink and opaque. Add the remainder of the coconut milk, the lime leaves and slivered chili, at the same time returning the sautéed garlic and basil to the pan.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steamed Thai jasmine rice.
Thai Roast Duck and Pumpkin Curry
1 ½ pound kabocha or other winter squash
4-5 cups coconut milk
4-6 tablespoons red curry paste
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons palm sugar
Thai fish sauce as needed for desired saltiness
2 ½ to 3 pounds roast duck chopped through the bones into small chunks
2-4 red hot chilies, cut into thin slivers with seeds
2 cups Thai basil leaves and flower buds
Basil sprigs for garnish
Cut the kabocha in half, scoop out the seeds and pith. Placing the cut ends
flat on a surface for balance, peel and discard the greenish skin, then cut into
1 ½ inch chunks.
Do not shake the cans of coconut milk before opening. Spoon 2/3 cup of the
thickest cream off the top of the can into a large pot placed over medium-
high heat. Reduce cream until thick and bubbly (about 3 minutes), then add
the curry paste. Stir and mash the paste into the coconut cream and fry for a
few minutes until it is very aromatic and darkened in color. Pour in the
remaining milk, stirring well to dissolve the paste to make a smooth rich
sauce.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons of palm sugar, stirring well to blend into the curry
sauce. Taste and add fish sauce only as necessary to salt to the desired
saltiness. ) This may not be necessary with some brands of curry paste
which are already highly salted.
Add the kabocha chunks and duck pieces. Stir well into the sauce. If there
is not enough curry sauce to cover most of the squash and duck, add more
coconut milk; or if the sauce is already thick and rich, add ½ cup water
instead, as the squash and duck will thicken and enrich the sauce as they
cook.
Return to a boil, then lower heat to medium, or just enough to boil the sauce gently. Cook partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender (15-20 minutes). Taste the sauce and adjust as needed with fish sauce and palm sugar to the desired salty-sweet combination. If you want it hotter, stir in the slivered chilies. If a lot of fat has cooked out of the duck, skim off the oil floating on top of the curry sauce. Stir in the basil until it wilts to a bright green color. Turn off the heat and spoon curry into a serving dish. Garnish with basil sprigs.
WATERFALL BEEF SALAD
In North Eastern Thailand beef is traditionally cooked over charcoal and it is the juices running off it that give this dish its name, which literally means “waterfall beef”. The tender beef strips are spiked with spicy, pungent flavors and served with a cooling salad of cucumber, lettuce, mint and a little fresh chili.
INGREDIENTS
300g piece sirloin or rump steak
3 tbsp fish sauce
3½ tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp palm sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 shallots, finely sliced
Handful of mint leaves
2 tsp toasted ground rice
½ tsp chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Barbecue or grill the steak, ideally to medium-rare on a heavy based pan with no oil, and slice carefully into thin strips.
Mix the fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved then add the beef strips. Add the coriander, spring onions, shallots, mint leaves, ground rice and chili powder and mix well.
To serve, assemble the salad on a plate and serve with the sliced beef and sticky rice.
Tip: To make toasted ground rice put 1/3 cup of jasmine rice and 2 kaffir lime leaves and a stalk of lemongrass into a large flat pan and toast over high heat until the rice turns golden brown, keeping the ingredients moving constantly to stop burning.
Thai Cucumber Salad with Sweet Lime Sauce
2 long large English cucumbers
½ cup pork
½ cup chicken thigh meat
¼ cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted to golden brown
¼ cup unsalted peanuts, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons ground dried shrimp
2 tablespoons chili paste in oil (nam prik pow)
3-4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
Juice of 2-3 limes, to taste
1-2 tablespoons palm sugar, to taste
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup peanut oil
3-4 lettuce leaves
1 red jalapeno pepper, cut into small thin sliver
Wash and halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then slice on angle into 1/8 inch-thick slices.
Rub thin layer of salt on the meats and let stand for 10 minutes, then steam in a shallow dish for 15-20 minutes. (Save the juice for soup stock.) When cool slice pork into small thin strips. Shred chicken into small thin strips.
Mix the chili paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar together to make the sauce, and adjust to taste.
Fry the shallots in the peanut oil over low heat until evenly browned and crisped. Drain and set aside.
Toss the cucumbers, pork, chicken, toasted coconut, chopped peanuts and dried shrimp with the sauce.
Arrange a bed of lettuce on a serving platter. Transfer the cucumber salad onto the lettuce. Top with the fried shallots and thinly slivered jalapeno.
Serve at room temperature.
Thai Cashew Chicken , “Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan”
The finest cashews in the world are grown in Thailand, mainly on the island of Phuket. Mamuang himaphan means cashew nut but there is an interesting translation. Himaphan’s original meaning refers to the Garden of Eden, and the cashew nut looks like a small mango. The resulting pun can mean “mango of paradise”, suggesting culinary heaven.
Ingredients
1/2 lb chicken thigh meat, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce
Toss chicken with tapioca flour, rice wine and Golden Mountain sauce, and marinade for 10 minutes or a bit longer.
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole dried chili
1/4 cup white or yellow onion, diced (large dice work best)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced same as onion
1/2 cup water chestnuts 3 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until brown and firm, then remove chicken to a plate covered by paper towel. Pour out the oil except for about 3 tablespoons, and then fry the whole dried chili until crunchy. Add onion and bell pepper, stir-fry briefly until soft. Remove from heat and transfer to the same plate with chicken.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons Thai ketchup
2 teaspoons Golden Mountain Sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Thai pepper powder
1 tablespoon left over from frying chili (see above)
5 tablespoons water
1/2 cup cashew nuts (more or less to suit your taste)
In a small mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients listed above. Sauté this sauce in a wok until it starts to thicken (add a bit more water if it becomes too thick). Add the cooked chicken and other cooked ingredients back into the wok with the sauce. Add cashew nuts, water chestnuts and spring onion. Stir for just a moment then promptly remove from heat. Transfer to serving dish and spoon over steamed jasmine rice
This is not authentically Thai, but the flavors are.
Thai Chicken Satay Salad Wraps
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat pulled
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
4 tsp palm sugar
1 tbsp minced, peeled, fresh ginger
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2-3 tbsp water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
8 (8") fat-free whole-wheat flour tortillas
8 large lettuce leaves
.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken, cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers in a large bowl.
Make the dressing by adding the sugar, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add the peanut butter
and water; process until smooth. Add the peanut dressing to the chicken, stir in the cilantro, and mix well.
To assemble, place a large lettuce leaf on each warm tortilla and fill with the chicken mixture. Roll it up and enjoy.