Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass. Wendy Hutton
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so be sure you have plenty of other food to follow. Strips offish are "cooked" in vinegar, then combined with onions, herbs, crunchy peanuts, and deep-fried shallots. Look for the freshest whole fish you can find (don't buy fillets unless you're absolutely sure of their freshness). If you want to try the Vietnamese version, wrap everything up in a rice paper, or go the Laotian way and use lettuce leaves.
10-1 3 oz (300-400 g) fresh white fish fillets (grouper, whiting, or other fine-fleshed fish)
1 cup (250 ml) rice vinegar
1 red or brown onion, halved and very thinly sliced
4 teaspoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 heaped tablespoon finely minced mint I heaped tablespoon finely minced polygon-um (long-stemmed Vietnamese mint)
1 fresh red chili, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons crushed dry-roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon crisp-fried shallots
12-16 small rice papers, 5½-6½ in (14-16 cm) in diameter, or 12-16 soft lettuce leaves
2 under-ripe star fruit (carambola) or 2 green tomatoes, thinly sliced
Wash the fillets, dry thoroughly with paper towel, then cut into thin slices about ½ x 2 in (1x 5 cm). Put the fish in a bowl and pour over the vinegar. Stir and leave to marinate at room temperature for I hour.
After fish has been marinating 30 minutes, put the onion into a separate bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and 1 teaspoon of the salt, massaging the onion with your fingers. Marinate for 30 minutes.
When the fish has marinated I hour, transfer to a sieve and rinse briefly under running water. Drain well and pat the fish dry with paper towel, then put into a bowl. Squeeze the onion to remove as much liquid as possible, but do not rinse. Combine the onion, fish, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, herbs, chili, peanuts, and shallots, mixing well with your hand.
If using rice papers, dip them one at a time into a bowl of warm water for 3 to 4 seconds. Remove and place on a kitchen towel, smoothing them with your fingers. Add some of the fish mixture to each rice paper (or lettuce leaf), roll up to form a cigar shape, and put on a serving plate. Garnish with star fruit or green tomato.
Serves: 4-6 Marinating: 1 hour Preparation time: 1O min
lacy malay pancakes roti jala
In the old days, Malay cooks used to make these lacy pancakes by putting their hand in the batter and then swirling it over the frying pan, letting the batter dribble down their fingers. Then sophistication struck and the roti Jala cup was born, a cup-like funnel with four spouts. You could use a regular kitchen funnel, or a Japanese soy sauce dispenser to get the appropriate lacy look to these pancakes, which are fabulous for mopping up curry gravy.
1½ cups (185 g) plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2½ cups (560 ml) coconut milk or fresh milk
vegetable oil for greasing pan
roti jala cup or kitchen funnel
Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt and eggs. Add the coconut or fresh milk gradually, stirring to make a smooth batter.
Lightly grease a frying pan, preferably non-stick, with a little oil. Hold a roti jala cup, a Japanese soy sauce dispenser with a narrow hole, or a regular kitchen funnel with the end partly closed with one finger to let through a thin stream of batter, over the frying pan. Use the other hand to pour in about ¼ cup of the batter, swirling the cup or funnel rapidly in circles over the pan to make a lacy pattern as the batter goes in. Allow the pancake to set on top, then turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Use a spatula to fold the pancake in half, then half again, and transfer to a plate. Continue, greasing the pan after each pancake, until all the batter has been used up. If the batter thickens towards the end, add a little more milk. Serve with any curry.
Serves: 4 Preparation time: 7 min Cooking time: 40 mins
prawn satay satay kung
Satay — skewers of seasoned meat, poultry, or seafood grilled to perfection over charcoal — is most commonly associated with Malaysia and Indonesia, but the Thais also prepare some amazingly good satay in the south. In this version, the natural sweetness of prawns is accentuated by the marinade of coconut cream, galangal, lemon grass, and spices. You could eat these with a peanut dipping sauce, but I think a squeeze of lime or lemon juice is all that's needed (and it's fat-free as well).
4 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
2 teaspoons very finely minced fresh galangal
2 stems lemon grass, tender inner part of bottom 3 in (8 cm) only, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup (125 ml) coconut cream
¼ cup (60 ml) water
2 lb (1 kg) large or medium raw prawns, peeled and deveined, leaving head and tail intact
bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water 30 minutes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large lime or lemon, quartered
Put the coriander and cumin seeds in spice grinder and process until fine. Add galangal, lemon grass, sugar, salt, pepper, turmeric, and 1 tablespoon of the coconut cream and process to a smooth paste.
Transfer the spice paste to a bowl and stir in the remaining coconut cream and water, mixing to make a smooth marinade. Add prawns and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature minimum 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Grease the grill of a barbecue or broiler with oil. Heat until very hot. Thread a prawn horizontally onto each skewer, then cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Turn and cook another 2 minutes; check to see if prawns are cooked. Serve accompanied by lime wedges.
Serves: 4-6 Makes: about 20 sticks Preparation time: 12 min Cooking time: 5 min
deep-fried thai prawn or fish cakes tod man kung/pla
If you've ever visited any of the coastal areas of Thailand, you're sure to have encountered this popular street snack, fried on the spot for you at food stalls. Tod Man Kung (or Tod Man Pla, if you're using fish) has a characteristic springy texture, and is wonderfully flavored with kaffir lime, curry paste, and fish sauce. Serve the prawn or fish cakes with Thai sweet chili sauce, which you buy off the shelf at most supermarkets.
2 lb (1 kg) fresh prawns, peeled and de-veined, or 1¼ lb (600 g) boneless white fish fillet, skinned and cubed
3-4 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (page 164)
2 tablespoons cornflour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 egg white
2-3 string beans, very finely sliced, optional
4 kaffir lime leaves, cut in hair-like shreds, or 2 spring onions, finely minced
2 medium ripe tomatoes
½ large or 1 small cucumber
vegetable oil for deep frying
Thai sweet chili sauce to serve
Put the prawns or fish into a food processor, add the curry paste,