Jackfruit spring rolls

Tasty ripe yellow jackfruit spring rolls with coconut icecream & coconut
salad.

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Mango kaffir lime LN2 ice cream with liquid nitrogen

This was the first demo with fresh mango chopped with kaffir lime and brown sugar.
Liquid nitrogen ice cream at Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas Krabi

Toasted coconut liquid nitrogen ice cream LN2

Today I gave some of the team an intro to using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream.
We are introducing it table side in a few weeks, by yours truly. The guys and girls were keen, so we made up a couple of 
brews.
This one is toasted coconut with palm sugar

Barramundi, Sea Bass, whatever!

In October I have a few food promotions to do, and in Lotus Court restaurant the theme is "Going Bananas".
When I first got here to Krabi I found an excellent fish, referred to as "Sea Bass".
It's not the Chilean or Euro one.
It is actually BARRAMUNDI, which I have always been told is native to Australia.
The name is, but nobody told the fish that it had to swim close to Cairns and Darwin.
And they are ig, wild, affordable,sustainable and....well.....just awesome!

I have this passionate love affair with bacon and bananas ever since my Grandma and Mum tried to fatten me up with that combo at breakfast as a wee lad.
When I got older I did the 'prawns in bacon' thing, and after discovering Thai food and becoming an old jaded chef it sort of morphed into prawns wrapped in bacon with banana massaman curry.
Being easily bored, and rarely satisfied, this week I tweaked it a bit and came up with the best combination ever.
Sea Bass roasted in pancetta, with banana massaman curry, and fresh coconut, green apple & ginger salad.

This is actually a little dangerous to eat on holiday, because its almost better than sex.
Imagine going on honeymoon, and your newly betrothed cannot be coaxed into the bedroom due to a gustatory fixation with the new fish dish!

Barramundi / Sea bass 2x220g

pancetta, thinly sliced, 4-6 pieces (enough to wrap 2 pieces of fish)

mature brown coconut

green apple

fresh julienne of young ginger root

lime juice

roasted sliced coconut

bananas - 2 each

butter - 15g / 2-3 tsp

massaman curry paste - 1 dsp/30g

coconut milk 200ml / 3/4 a cup

brown sugar 1 tsp (5g)

fish sauce (Thai nam pla) 2-3 ml (a few drops to taste)

sweet basil leaves (Thai if possible, or Italian)

Basically, you need to:

1. Get a nice FRESH 220g fillet of barramundi/sea bass with the skin on, and wrap it in a couple of thin slices of pancetta. Pan fry it briefly to set the pancetta, then  finish in the oven at 180 degrees C. About 9-12 minutes if it is nice and thick
2. Sauté the Massaman curry paste in the butter (medium heat) for 30 seconds, and when it smells great, add a little coconut milk. Split, then add the rest, simmer and add the rough chopped bananas. Saute another 1-2 minutes, then season with brown sugar, fish sauce, basil leaves and a touch of frshly ground black pepper.
3. Make the salad FRESH. Open and slice the coconut, thicker than matchsticks so you keep some crunch. Toss with the fresh green apple and ginger root julienne strips. Season with a squeeze of lime and a dash of fish sauce.
4. Serve, and be idolised.

A sexy Thai salad

I was just playing around with one of my sous chefs this week (in the nicest possible way) and we ended up getting a wee bit creative.
The the commis from the Japanese kitchen chimed in, and we suddenly had an enthusiastic kitchen, all trying to do cool things.
You know, that is REALLY what it is all about.
That, and the guests who take the time to comment - to care - and to enjoy.
We started off with the old standard "yum pla duk fuu" - or crispy catfish salad. A traditional Thai dish (well - Isaan to be picky), outrageously flavoursome and packed with textures and flavour contrasts.
Prapan suggested some black chilli jam and sweet crisp anchovies. I demurred, he smiled and talked about lemongrass, I said add basil, and we both agreed on roasted coconut and coconut milk.
WOW.
This is my new favourite salad.
Crispy fish salad with black chilli jam, roasted coconut, lemongrass and palm heart

One whole catfish (300-400g) or similar soft fleshed, tasty fish

120g fresh young coconut palm heart*

salt

Fresh Thai sweet basil leaves

spring onion

shallots (small red onions)

nam prik pao (black chilli jam)

coconut milk - freshly squeezed is best

mature coconut flesh (sliced thin & roasted or pan fried)

lemongrass, husk removed, & white part very finely sliced

Bake / grill or roast the fish. All of it. Skin on.

Remove the skin, flake off the cooked fish, then pop it onto a chopping board.
Chop it with a sharp knife until it looks - chopped! Not mashed.

Get a wok, and put a couple of cups of oil in, and heat it quite hot.
This bit is tricky. Too hot, and it's going to burn.
Too cool, it's going to 'poach' and get oily.

You are aiming for a brisk heat where you can 'rain' the chopped fish into the oil, and it starts to froth and sizzle with a bit of attitude.
It should take about 1 minute to cook.

When you sprinkle it quickly into the hot oil, push it towards the centre, and as it goes crisp and golden, turn it over and deep fry the top.
When crisp and golden, take it out, and drain it for 20 seconds. It should be a tasty, crispy lattice of pure fish that looks like a sea sponge made out of fried breadcrumbs.

Take the 'nam prik pao' (sold commercially as 'chilli paste in soybean oil') and mix in some coconut cream until it tastes great. About 2 tsp/ 20g of nam prik pao, and I'd say 100ml / 5 tbsp of coconut cream.

Slice the fresh coconut palm heart into thick julienne. Too fine, it loses it's crunch.
*No FRESH coconut palm heart? then grab a mature (hairy brown) coconut, get the flesh out, and slice that. AWESOME!

Toss all the ingredients - but only half of the crispy fish.
After LIGHTLY combined, add remaining crispy fish, toss for 5 seconds very lightly, and serve!

Garnish with coconut cream, and some roasted dry red chillies.

This is SERIOUSLY good tasting, and caters real Thai to even the most jaded Asian food aficionados.

Done Thai every day and sick of it?

Try it. Tell me I'm wrong :-)

ข้าวซอย Khao Soy - Chiang Mai Chicken curry noodles

"Khao Soy"  ข้าวซอย  is a classic dish from Chiang Mai in North Thailand - a deep bowl lunch dish made from chicken stewed slowly in a rich curry sauce with yellow 'ba mee' egg noodles in the soup - and crisp egg noodles as garnish

Here is the traditional way - The "Real Thai" method which is achieved by pounding all of the spices in a big stone mortar and pestle, and using "bad, non politically correct chickens"

We don't go all gourmet and use corn fed fowls, Staten Island aristocrats, milf-fed poultry-geists or any other such expensive, over-hyped foodie treats.

We just use cheap, unwanted, unloved stewing fowls - otherwise known as "those tough old boilers" - to make a really nice braise - or to be more accurate - slow cooked chicken leg. Or "stew."
It takes two hours and it tastes as good as any Italian casserole. In fact - I'll put my balls on the line and state quite bluntly that it tastes even better!
After all, it's Thai, authentic, and packs a massive punch in the taste stakes and the "WOW" factor when you first gobble it down.

Let's get started with the curry paste.

Here's what you will need:

Khao Soy curry paste                          (makes 225grams)  

                                                                          

32g       ginger, young, sliced        

32g      galangal, sliced, peeled                                                             

44g       garlic, peeled                                                              

28g       fresh coriander root,washed             

32g      red onion / shallots,peeled         

32g      lemongrass, sliced thinly/chopped      

10g       coriander seed

10g     dried red chilli, small / medium                                                  

18g     gapi shrimp paste                                 

                                                       

                                            

                                 

                               

Quality points & CHANGES                                                                                          

1/. Pound all ingredients in mortar and pestle                                                                  

2/.pound consistently until a paste is formed
3/. Use curry paste while fresh.

                                                   

           

      

                                                                

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Khao Soy - Chiang Mai chicken curry    makes 7- 8 portions

600g chicken leg with skin, boneless, stewing

225g Khao Soy curry paste, Fresh. See recipe

120g oil, plain for cooking, veg oil

1000g chicken stock                       

1000g coconut milk (Aroy D brand, or thick!)

62g  fish sauce                             

56g  palm sugar                           

Method and pointers                                                                                                     

1/.    heat oil in heavy bottomed stewing pot                                   

2/.    fry curry paste over medium heat until it smells great! 

      

                              

3/.    Add chicken pieces, and fry with paste 4-5 minutes 

  

  

4/.    Add coconut milk, slowly, and in 4 batches, stirring well between.
5/.    Add chicken stock. Stir well
6/.    Bring to a gentle simmer. Add fish sauce and palm sugar.
7/.    Simmer VERY GENTLY for 1.5 to 2 hours.      

                                                        

* For this recipe, use old boiling fowls. This is a long, slow cooked dish. 
The older, tougher chickens will become moist and tender with slow cooking. 
DO NOT make it "classy" by using some fancy five star chicken breast, because this will become tough and dry.

Food gurus may laugh at you - but their expensive designer products match expensive designer tables, twenty thousand dollar table settings, and clifftop mansions with journalists and beautiful people.

As the Italians will also tell you, rustic home-cooked food needs simple, natural ingredients, plus care, passion and time.

So if you WANT to spend $87.50 airfreighting in a beer-massaged squab, blessed by Marco Pierre White on his country farm during a shoot for Esquire, then by all means, panfry it in your Emile-endorsed pan, with a dash of Ainsley Harriott "bought shares in Thai Airways" Authentic curry paste, and serve it medium well, with some micro snowpeas and olives blessed by virgins from the ancient Isles of Homer.

A 5 minute ready steady cook meal made in heaven, I'm sure.

In reality - slow tough cuts for traditional braises. Cheap cuts. Non designer. Old. Fibrous. Chewy. Ugly. And - shudder - horrifyingly named. And also inexpensive, tasty, and containing all the connective tissue that breaks down to make slow food so enticingly moist and delicious.
So - DON'T be tempted to "upgrade" - unless you really know your cuts and cooking methods inside out through lots of experience.

 

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Khao soy - a-la-carte
qty	unit	item	spec
1	each	khao soy curry	portion (see recipe)
75	g	thin yellow egg noodle	"ba mee" (1.5 balls)
25	g	crisp deep-fried egg noodle	"ba mee" (.5 balls)
15	g	pickled veg	condiment
15	g	nam prik pao	condiment
1	each	local limes - 2 halves	condiment
5	g	crisp fried onion	garnish
5	g	coriander leaf & stalk	garnish
5	g	spring onion - chopped	garnish
5	g	red onion/shallot, sliced	condiment

 

Lard Na - a simple classic

Here’s a nice creamy, tasty, veg filled version of the Thai classic dish “Lard na”.
It makes 4 portions!

It’s one of those dishes which you MIGHT get at a Thai restaurant – if a lot of Thais go there – but you are probably more likely to get it made by a Thai friend in a frenzied 7 minutes in corner of the kitchen, made with whatever is at hand

Basically noodles with gravy, it consists of thick flat rice noodles, otherwise known as “kway teow or in Thailand as “sen yai.” These noodles are dry fried, very hot, and topped with a thickened gravy.

This one is not the 100% true and faithful version – which is normally quite basic but tasty – garlic, pak kanaa (Chinese Broccoli) and pork in a sauce thickened with tapioca flour.

First, you’ll need some sen yai, or thick rice noodles. Here in Thailand we get them fresh, and you need to peel them apart and fry them damn hot or else they stick like a ball of glue.

If your wok is smoking, and you drop them in a few at a time, you get an amazing texture, and ‘seared’ flavour. That's normally well seasoned woks over a gas flame though.

If you can’t get the fresh rice noodles, then go to the Chinese shop and look for the dried ones -  10mm flat rice stick noodles, dry.

These can be boiled for 4-6 minutes, then run under cold water – or if you have a bit longer, they can be soaked in warm water for an hour or two, then drained and kept ready to fry on demand.

For this version of Lard Na you will need:

For the sauce:
Garlic, crushed, fresh!  30g / 2 dsp
Chopped Chicken meat (or pork or seafood) – and use fresh or chilled, - not Frozen! Handful 250g
Oyster mushrooms - handful -70g
Carrots – chopped, handful - 100g
Chinese broccoli – rough chopped – handful or two (1/2 bunch)
Yellow bean sauce – 3 dsp
Oyster sauce - 2 dsp
Rosy pork powder (optional – or pork seasoning powder or stock cube –Maggi or Knorr)
Water - for sauce - 1 litre
2 eggs
Tapioca flour – for thickening 3 tbsp – mixed in water to thick running paste 
(Yes, you can use cornflour instead) - it's pictured just below in my hand - AND mixed into some water in the bowl.

For the noodles
600g fresh kway teow/sen yai rice noodles OR 400g dry 10mm rice sticks, soaked/cooked
Soy sauce 1 -2 dsp (or dark soy, or mushroom soy, or oyster sauce)
Oil – for frying  2-3 dsp
A very hot wok, preferably. Or a big cast iron pan. Or my electric wok [cry]

(It’s actually hard to type this while my glass is half empty. I am more of a glass half full type of guy. So I just grabbed the Singha bottle and fixed that)

I also have an official taster handy. She is pictured here.

OK – back to the recipe.

Have all of your bowls of ingredients handy.
Heat the wok or frying pan and add some oil.
Heat until almost smoking, then fry the flat rice noodles, very hot, very fast.
Season them with some thick soy, very tasty soy or some oyster sauce as you cook them.

Turn them into serving bowls when they have a bit of a crispy edge and a fried smell to them.
In the wok, add oil and then fry the chopped chicken meat and the garlic until aromatic.

Add the Chinese broccoli, add some oyster sauce and yellow bean sauce, then add carrot, mushrooms and  water. If you prefer the "usual" way instead of the Spartan "old days" way, feel free to add "rosy" pork powder (or a Knorr/Maggi pork/chicken stock cube) and simmer.

While this frantic kitchen action is happening around you, grab a small bowl or a cup, and mix water with the tapioca flour (can also use arrowroot, cornflour or rice flour)

We are looking for a paste – not too thick and starchy, and not too runny either.
(Actually, I'm not looking for anything. You will be. So try to make sure it drools in a very inelegant fashion. If it pours out - too thin. If it's so chumpy, you have to carve it - then it's too thick)
This will be used for thickening the sauce.

When the chicken is cooked and the carrot and mushrooms are looking sexy and ready enough to eat, then drool in the tapioca flour paste at a gentle simmer and stir until it gets to a gravy thickness. At the gentle simmer I already mentioned, this should be almost instantaneous.
Add slowly, and stir over that same ol' gentle simmer for a minute or so after adding just to avoid any surprises. Such as having to slice it into squares in order to serve. ;-)

Now, grab the eggs and whisk with a fork in a small bowl, and stir into the vegetable and chicken gravy. Stir it until it gets thick and creamy – and that’s it!

Check seasoning – adjust with ground white pepper and Thai fish sauce.

Now, ladle some of that gravy over the noodles, grab a spoon and fork, and don’t forget the condiment – sprinkle some toasted dry red chilli flakes over and then EAT.

Just awesome.

Personally I like to try this without the mushrooms and carrots, and with some chunks of rock lobster,  and a spoonful of salmon caviar and some basil leaves. It’s magic.