I've always loved Thai food and dined whenever I could at the multitude of Thai restaurants that appeared on every other street corner in Richmond. Something about the salty, sweet and spicy combinations, the anise-scented Thai basil mixed with the stinging chili in the back of your tongue made me want to try making Thai food on my own. Although some of the ingredients can be hard to find (I had to venture to White Plains, NY to Kam Sen Asian Food market to find the right type of chilis), the recipes are actually quite simple and always render delicious and satisfying results.
Tome Yum Goong
Spicy Shrimp Soup with Lemongrass and Lime
Green Curry with Shrimp, Eggplant and Snap Peas
Recipes (Adapted from Real Thai)
Tome Yum Goong
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought...homemade is always better, but I understand if you don't have the time)
3 large stalks of lemongrass*
12 fresh wild lime leaves*
6 fresh Thai bird chilis (also called kii noo chilis, usually are very small green chilis)*
Juice of 1 lime
3 slender green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Asian red chili sauce*
1 1/2 cups of shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of whole cilantro leaves
*Can be found at most Asian markets
Procedure:
In large saucepan bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, trim lemongrass by slicing off the bulb end and the grassy parts at the opposite end. With the back of a heavy knife or a meat pounder, crush the lemongrass so that it becomes slightly fragrant. Chop into 3 inch pieces. Add the bruised lemongrass and 6 of the lime leaves to the broth and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until the lemongrass has turned a dull khaki color. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves from the broth.
Stem the chilis and place them under the flat side of your knife. Crush them until they begin to split. Place in a serving bowl with lime juice, green onions, lime leaves and cilantro leaves.
Increase the soup to high and add the chili paste and mushrooms. When the soup has boiled for one minute or when the mushrooms are tender, add the fish sauce and the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are opaque and firm. Remove it from the heat and pour into serving bowl. Add more fish sauce or chili to taste. Enjoy immediately.
Green Curry Sauce
Ingredients:
Green Curry Paste:
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
5 peppercorns (white or black)
3 stalks lemongrass
1/4 cup cilantro stems
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh wild or domestic lime peel*
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
1/2 cup fresh green kii noo chilies, stemmed and coarsely chopped*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
Procedure:
Place coriander seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat and toast until fragrant. Place in bowl in allow them to cool. Repeat same steps with cumin seeds. Place seeds, along with peppercorns in a small mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until very fine. Set aside.
Slice ends of lemongrass and bruise with back of knife or a meat pounder. Slice into 2 inch lengths and place in food processor. Add cilantro, ginger, and lime peel. Puree until ingredients are broken down. Add the garlic and shallot, process until a moist, fragrant puree forms. Add the chilis, spices, salt, and shrimp paste. Puree until all the ingredients form a paste.
Place in an airtight container and keep chilled. Can stay good for up to a week.
Green Curry
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup Green Curry Paste
3 cups of coconut milk
1 1/2 cups sliced Japanese eggplant
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 fresh wild lime leaves
Garnish: Thai Basil Leaves, Red Chilis or Sweet Red pepper strips
In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, warm the coconut cream over medium heat until it boils gently, Allow to boil for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see tiny pools of oil glistening on the surface. Add curry paste and stir to dissolve into the coconut cream. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the curry is fragrant. Add the coconut milk, eggplant, snap peas, fish sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Stir in 6 of the lime leaves, adjust the heat to a steady boil and allow to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and allow to cook until opaque and pink. Remove from heat and serve with a mound of jasmine rice.
Enjoy!
Elise
Tome Yum Goong
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought...homemade is always better, but I understand if you don't have the time)
3 large stalks of lemongrass*
12 fresh wild lime leaves*
6 fresh Thai bird chilis (also called kii noo chilis, usually are very small green chilis)*
Juice of 1 lime
3 slender green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Asian red chili sauce*
1 1/2 cups of shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of whole cilantro leaves
*Can be found at most Asian markets
Procedure:
In large saucepan bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, trim lemongrass by slicing off the bulb end and the grassy parts at the opposite end. With the back of a heavy knife or a meat pounder, crush the lemongrass so that it becomes slightly fragrant. Chop into 3 inch pieces. Add the bruised lemongrass and 6 of the lime leaves to the broth and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until the lemongrass has turned a dull khaki color. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves from the broth.
Stem the chilis and place them under the flat side of your knife. Crush them until they begin to split. Place in a serving bowl with lime juice, green onions, lime leaves and cilantro leaves.
Increase the soup to high and add the chili paste and mushrooms. When the soup has boiled for one minute or when the mushrooms are tender, add the fish sauce and the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are opaque and firm. Remove it from the heat and pour into serving bowl. Add more fish sauce or chili to taste. Enjoy immediately.
Green Curry Sauce
Ingredients:
Green Curry Paste:
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
5 peppercorns (white or black)
3 stalks lemongrass
1/4 cup cilantro stems
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh wild or domestic lime peel*
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
1/2 cup fresh green kii noo chilies, stemmed and coarsely chopped*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
Procedure:
Place coriander seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat and toast until fragrant. Place in bowl in allow them to cool. Repeat same steps with cumin seeds. Place seeds, along with peppercorns in a small mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until very fine. Set aside.
Slice ends of lemongrass and bruise with back of knife or a meat pounder. Slice into 2 inch lengths and place in food processor. Add cilantro, ginger, and lime peel. Puree until ingredients are broken down. Add the garlic and shallot, process until a moist, fragrant puree forms. Add the chilis, spices, salt, and shrimp paste. Puree until all the ingredients form a paste.
Place in an airtight container and keep chilled. Can stay good for up to a week.
Green Curry
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup Green Curry Paste
3 cups of coconut milk
1 1/2 cups sliced Japanese eggplant
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 fresh wild lime leaves
Garnish: Thai Basil Leaves, Red Chilis or Sweet Red pepper strips
In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, warm the coconut cream over medium heat until it boils gently, Allow to boil for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see tiny pools of oil glistening on the surface. Add curry paste and stir to dissolve into the coconut cream. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the curry is fragrant. Add the coconut milk, eggplant, snap peas, fish sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Stir in 6 of the lime leaves, adjust the heat to a steady boil and allow to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and allow to cook until opaque and pink. Remove from heat and serve with a mound of jasmine rice.
Enjoy!
Elise
Just found out I will be having dinner at L'Ecole on February 7th. Any menu recommendations?
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