Treats from Thailand

Green Papaya Salad with River Prawn (SOM-TAM GOONG)

Ingredients (For salad):

3 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 fresh Thai bird chilies minced with the seeds

4 scallions, sliced 1/8^th of an inch, white and green separated

¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

4 cups green papaya julienne (2 papayas) peeled and seeded

Salt and black pepper to taste

Ingredients (For the river prawn):

12 large river prawn, peeled and de-veined, with tail intact

1 tsp lime juice

25 ml vegetable oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure

In a large bowl mix the juice, fish sauce and sugar. Whisk in the oil and then season. Add the chilies, scallion whites and peanuts. Toss in the papaya and check for seasoning. Let it stand for 20 minutes before serving.

For the Grilled River Prawn, mix all the ingredients stated in the "Ingredients (for the river prawn)" together and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Season the prawn and place on a hot, oiled grill. Turn frequently and cook for about 8 minutes. For the plating, place a small mound of salad and top with river prawn. Garnish with sliced scallion greens.

Green Chicken Curry (Geang Keaw Wan Gai)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 shallots, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2-inch knob galangal, minced

1 red chili, seeded and finely diced

1 egg plant peeled and sliced into 1/4^th of an inch-sized cubes

3 tbsp green curry paste

3 cups chicken stock

1 large red pepper, sliced

1 can (14.5 oz) coconut cream with milk

4 sprigs Thai basil, chopped

1 kaffir lime zest

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 stalk lemon grass, bruised

Sprigs of fresh Thai basil

Procedure

In a sauce pot, heat the oil and stir in the shallot, garlic, galangal and chili. Add the green curry paste and cook until fragrant, which should take about a minute.

Dice the eggplant into ½ inch cubes and add to the pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the sliced chicken, coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, sliced red pepper, kaffir lime zest, chicken stock and lemongrass into the pot. Stir, cover and bring to a boil.

Once a low boil is reached, turn the heat down low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil at the very end, just before serving. Taste and adjust fish sauce and palm sugar amounts, if necessary.