Cuisine of Thailand. Prestonwood Gourmet February 10, 2018 at 6:30 pm. Thai food combines the best of several

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1 Cuisine of Thailand Prestonwood Gourmet February 10, 2018 at 6:30 pm Thai food combines the best of several Eastern cuisines: the oriental bite of Szechwan Chinese, the tropical flavor of Malaysian, the creamy coconut sauces of Southern Indian and the aromatic spices of Arabian food. Thais then add an abundance of fresh ingredients, coriander plants, chilies and pepper. The result is like a cuisine minceur of the Orient, with small portions of lean meat, poultry, seafood and plenty of fresh vegetables. Thai food is lightly cooked so it is crisp, colorful, sharply flavored and nutritious.

2 Menu Appetizer - Shrimp Satay (Goong Satay) with Satay Sauce (Nam Jim Satay) Soup - Chicken and Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Kai) with Jasmine Rice Entrée - Thai Pork and Noodles Side - Thai Carrot Salad Dessert - Mango Ice Cream (Ice Cream Mamuang) Suggested wines Pinot Gris, Gerwurztraminer or Riesling are the obvious pairings but a sparkling wine like Prosecco will work as well as a Pinot Noir for a red wine. Singha Beer from Thailand is an excellent choice. Division of Labor: 5 cooks - Obvious division 4 cooks - One cook will make both the carrots and the ice cream The Asian section of your local grocery store has a lot of the ingredients you will need. Central Market has fresh lemon grass. 99 Ranch Market in Plano has the wide rice noodles (XL) for the entrée and lovely fresh mangoes for the dessert.

3 Shrimp Satay (Goong Satay) Serves 4 Marinade: 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ onion coarsely chopped 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, bottom third of tender white bulb, thinly sliced 2 Tblsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 3 Tblsp vegetable oil 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground fennel seeds 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp sugar 12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined with tails intact 12 bamboo skewers, 8-inch, soaked in water for 30 minutes to avoid charring In a mini food processor, combine onion, garlic, lemongrass and ginger and process to a paste. In skillet heat the oil and add the onion paste to the skillet. Cook over moderately low heat until browned, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add the ground coriander and rest of spices incl. salt and sugar to the skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant about 1 minute. Scrape the paste into a bowl and cool completely. In large shallow dish coat the shrimp with the spice paste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Thread 1 shrimp lengthwise onto each skewer, stretching it out. Grill or broil or sauté about 1-1 ½ minutes per side. Serve 3 skewers per person with the satay sauce.

4 Satay Sauce (Nam Jim Satay) Serves 8 to 10 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 cup water ¼ cup Thai garlic-chile sauce 2 Tblsp rice vinegar 2 Tblsp sesame oil 1 ½ Tblsp teriyaki sauce 1 Tblsp minced fresh ginger ½ tsp crushed red pepper Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped dry-roasted peanuts, unsalted In a medium bowl combine peanut butter, water, Thai garlic-chile sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well to combine and garnish with cilantro and peanuts, if desired.

5 Chicken and Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Kai) Serves 4 4 cups of coconut milk 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised with the flat edge of a knife and cut into 1 inch pieces 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1 inch ginger root peeled and sliced in paper thin round slices 1 tsp chili paste or crushed red pepper 1 can (14 oz) Straw mushrooms Juice of 1 ½ limes 1 Tblsp fish sauce 1 Tblsp cilantro leaves, shredded Cilantro leaves to garnish Heat coconut milk to scalding. Do Not Boil. Add chicken to poach, uncovered, and lemon grass. Cook 4 minutes until chicken is tender. Add green onions, ginger, chili paste and mushrooms. Heat briefly. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce and cilantro. Ladle into soup bowls over a small scoop of Jasmine Rice and garnish with cilantro leaves. Make some Jasmine Rice following directions on package, just enough for a small scoop in each soup bowl.

6 Thai Pork and Noodles Serves 4 1 lb. thin boneless pork chops, fat trimmed off 8 ounces wide Thai rice noodles 1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and stems) chopped Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 2 slices peeled ginger 2 cloves garlic, smashed 3 red jalapeno peppers, seeded and roughly chopped 2 shallots, roughly chopped 3 Tblsp fish sauce 2 Tblsp packed light brown sugar 1 Tblsp water 4 Tblsp peanut oil ¼ lb green beans, split lengthwise and cut into pieces Place pork in the freezer about 15 minutes to make it easier to slice. Soak the noodles in very hot water until just tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Snip the noodles with scissors into shorter lengths. Cut the frozen pork into ¼ inch-wide strips. Puree the cilantro, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar and 1Tblsp water in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Heat 3 Tblsp peanut oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add half the cilantro mixture and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add remaining 1 Tblsp oil to the wok. Then add the green beans and stir-fry until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the noodles, the pork and 2 Tblsp of the remaining cilantro mixture. Cook, tossing with tongs until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining cilantro mixture to taste.

7 Thai Carrot Salad Serves lbs carrots, coarsely grated 1 cup white granulated sugar ½ cup water ½ rice vinegar 2 Tblsp minced garlic 2 Tblsp Thai fish sauce 1 ½ tsp Thai red curry paste 2 Tblsp lime juice 1 Tblsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional) ½ cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts Place grated carrots in large bowl. Combine sugar, water, and rice vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil; cook until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, fish sauce, and curry paste to sugar mixture and simmer until flavors blend, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool dressing completely, at least 30 minutes. Stir lime juice and red pepper flakes into dressing and pour over carrots. Add peanuts and toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled, at least several hours. (Serve on dinner plate with the Thai Pork and Noodles)

8 Mango Ice Cream (Ice Cream Mamuang) Serves 4 13 oz to 1 lb canned sliced mangoes (or 4 ripe mangoes) 4 oz sugar if using canned mangoes (or 16 oz sugar if using fresh mangoes) 1 Tblsp lemon juice 1 Tblsp plain gelatin, dissolved in 3 Tblsp water 1 ½ cups thickened cream, whipped until stiff Mango slices and mint sprigs to garnish Peel, seed and cut mangoes. Drain liquid if using canned mangoes. Place mangoes in bowl with sugar, lemon juice and dissolved gelatin. Mix well until sugar dissolves. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into metal tray and place in freezer until half frozen. Remove and place in food processor or chilled bowl and beat until smooth. Return to freezer tray and freeze completely. Serve with fresh sliced ripe mango, garnish with mint sprigs.