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by Vanessa Barrington
Next time you need a shot of excitement for weary winter taste buds, why not try Thai? Once you understand how to balance flavors and textures, many Thai-style dishes are surprisingly easy to create at home with readily available ingredients. Balance and harmony are important parts of Thai culture and cuisine. Thai food is a glorious mix of hot, savory, salty, sour and sweet flavors, and chewy, crunchy, creamy, and soft textures. Think of crunchy nuts and lettuce, chewy shrimp or calamari, and soft tofu all tossed together and bathed in a mixture of spicy chilies, pungent, salty fish sauce, tart lime juice, aromatic herbs such as cilantro or mint, and a little sugar to bring all the flavors together into one mesmerizing mélange.
I like to think of Thai food as the original fusion cuisine because for centuries Thai cooks have been successively adding new cultural influences to their cuisine and blending them together in a way that is uniquely Thai. From China comes the use of noodles. Slow cooked curries and ground spices arrived from India but the Thais adapted the techniques to incorporate the use of more fresh herbs. The Portuguese brought hot chilies. The Dutch and French had their influences too. Since it was difficult to produce and store dairy products in the tropics, the use of coconut milk was most likely a Thai adaptation to allow cooks to create creamy dishes.
People who travel to Thailand are often struck by the Thai focus on food and sharing meals. In fact, in Thailand, a common question upon greeting a friend is “Have you already eaten?” Thai meals are typically served family style. Everyone is served rice or noodles, and then all of the dishes are placed in the middle of the table, in no particular order, for all to share. The yin yang principal of balance and harmony applies to the entire meal, not just each dish. In Thailand you would be served a variety of dishes with different textures and flavors. For example, you might enjoy a soup, a salad and a rice or noodle dish side by side, taking tastes of each dish so as to enjoy the contrasts in the meal.
So, when winter gets you down and you’re tired of mashed potatoes and other hearty, cold-weather fare, venture on into the Thai section, pick up a few basic ingredients and head to the kitchen to create something vibrant and new. Once you try these two recipes, you’ll see how easy it is. Thai food is the perfect bridge to the spring season. It is light and healthy and mostly low in fat (if you limit the use of coconut milk). And, it cooks quickly, leaving you more time to enjoy the longer days.
Your Thai Kitchen:
Coconut milk
Red and green curry pastes
Fish Sauce
Peanut oil
Chili sauce
Peanut Sauce
Soy Sauce
Rice noodles
Peanuts
Jasmine Rice
Ginger
Garlic
Sugar
Limes
Cilantro
Small hot chilies
Basil
Mint
Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4
You can prepare all the ingredients for this dish while the steak cooks on the
grill or the stovetop.
Salad:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 pound top round steak (London Broil)
1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled and seeded, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
thinly
1 small shallot, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 green onions, green part only, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 roma tomato, deseeded and diced
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
Iceberg lettuce or green cabbage for serving
Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped (it’s pretty if you mix red and green chilies)
1. In a heavy skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil. Sprinkle the meat generously with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning once, until medium rare to medium. Remove meat from skillet and set aside to rest.
2. Meanwhile prepare the salad ingredients and mix together the ingredients for the dressing, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Slice the meat as thinly as possible against the grain. In a large bowl, combine the steak, the dressing, and all the salad ingredients except for the lettuce or cabbage.
4. Toss and taste for salt and pepper.
5. Serve the salad over a bed of iceberg lettuce or shredded cabbage.
Thai Coconut Cod Curry
Serves 2-3
Ready in minutes, this rich, creamy dish can be served over plain jasmine
rice with a crisp, fresh salad or Asian flavored slaw on the side.
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1-1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 Serrano chili, cut into rings, with seeds
1 cup coconut milk (shake can before opening)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 pound fresh cod
Zest from 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Thai basil (or if unavailable, regular fresh basil)
1. Heat one tablespoon of the peanut oil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Put in the ginger, garlic and chili. Sauté, stirring for 2-3 minutes, until mixture becomes fragrant, but not brown. Pour in the coconut milk and add the fish sauce and curry paste. Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 5-8 minutes. (Mixture will thicken and reduce slightly)
2. Meanwhile, over medium high heat, warm the remaining one tablespoon of peanut oil in a heavy skillet large enough to accommodate the fish. Add the cod, and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a spatula.
3. Pour the simmering coconut curry mixture over the cod, add the lime zest, and lower the heat under the cod, continuing to simmer until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
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