THEAM PISITH park hyatt siem reap chef de cuisine I REALIZED AT A YOUNG AGE that Khmer cuisine requires a lot of heart, passion and patience. { theam pisith } menu FISH AND PRAWN AMOK APSARA COCKTAIL AS A CHILD, RELATES PARK HYATT SIEM REAP S Chef de Cuisine Theam Pisith, I sat at the kitchen table, watching my mother and grandmother prepare an array of dishes. Always, I was enthralled at the efficiency of their hands and the fragrance of the spices that would pervade the room. I realized at a young age that Khmer cuisine requires heart, passion and patience. It calls for a careful balance of spices and precise culinary skills to produce a dish that is delicate, yet flavorful, and a presentation naturally pleasing to the eye. Perhaps the best example of this is the Amok. Considered the national dish of Cambodia, the Amok is a coconut curry concoction traditionally made with fresh water fish, or chicken, prawns or mushrooms, delightfully enhanced by the flavors characteristic of Khmer cuisine turmeric, lemongrass, coconut, palm sugar, fish sauce and ngor leaves. Meticulous preparation is evident in its presentation wrapped in banana leaves or ensconced in a coconut shell. The Amok is a featured dish at Park Hyatt Siem Reap, where Chef Pisith works under the guidance of Executive Sous Chef, Martin Robl. The menu in The Dining Room, the hotel s signature restaurant, features both provincial French and traditional Cambodian cuisine, drawing upon seasonal products in the local markets. siem reap } 1
THE BEST DISHES ARE OFTEN THE MOST UNCOMPLICATED, AUTHENTIC, FRESH AND FLAVORFUL. Let the season guide the menu make use of the best ingredients available at each time of the year. Thoughtfully sourced. Carefully served. That s what makes an outstanding dish. { martin robl, executive sous chef } To keep the mood authentically Khmer, bar chief Young Sothy recommends a rice and palm wine cocktail to pair with the Amok. He calls it the Apsara as the flavors of passion fruit juice, rice wine, palm wine and lemongrass are graceful and playful on the palate. LOCAL FLAVOR Chef Pisith has lived all his life in Siem Reap, while Chef Martin recently arrived and looks at everything with fresh eyes. When asked for recommendations, both chose to go to the heart of Siem Reap to capture the essence of Khmer cuisine. A tailor-made Park Hyatt journey takes an epicure first to a village market lush with native vegetables, the fresh catch from the lake, local spices and edible flowers. The journey continues on back-roads to watch rice-noodle makers go about their craft using giant stone mortars and pestles and clay mixing bowls. Nearby, rice wine makers line up bottles of wine made with a painstaking, age-old fermentation process. Next, the palm sugar houses make molasses from sugar palm juice in large pots atop a bonfire. The finale might be a Khmer cooking class under the guidance of Chef Pisith. A soulful drink to complement the menu is on hand courtesy of Mr. Sothy. siem reap } 3
FISH AND PRAWN AMOK serves 10 INGREDIENTS 40 peeled prawns // 6 fillets catfish or bar fish // 120 g (8 Tbsp) fish sauce // 1.2 liters (5 cups) coconut milk // 30 g (2 Tbsp) palm sugar // 5 large leaves *Ngor (bitter morinda) leaves, sliced // 3 eggs // *may substitute cabbage For Curry Paste 30 g (2 Tbsp) Khmer red chili // 45 g (3 Tbsp) lemon grass // 15 g (1 Tbsp) turmeric // 15 g (1 Tbsp) white turmeric // 15 g (1 Tbsp) garlic // 30 g (2 Tbsp) shallot // 5 g (1 tsp) Kaffir lime leaves // 10 bowls steamed rice // METHOD 1 } Dice the catfish fillet and the peeled prawns into bite-sized chunks. Season with salt, fish sauce and palm sugar. 2 } Beat the eggs gently and put aside in a bowl. Prepare the Curry Paste 1 } Combine all the spices: red chili, lemon grass, turmeric and white turmeric, garlic and shallots. 2 } Blend until the mixture is soft and smooth. 3 } Heat a saucepan and pour in the paste. Cook until fragrant. 4 } Add 2 cups (0.5 liter) of coconut milk to the saucepan. Add fish cubes and stir, slowly. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk. 5 } Add in the fish sauce, palm sugar and the Ngor (bitter morinda) leaves. 6 } Pour the beaten eggs into the mixture while continuously stirring. 7 } Pour in a bowl and serve with steamed rice. APSARA COCKTAIL serves 1 INGREDIENTS Cocktail Recipe 30 ml (2 Tbsp) rice wine infused with lemongrass // 40 ml (3 Tbsp) palm wine // 20 ml (3 tsp) pineapple juice // 10 ml (2 tsp) orange bitter // 10 ml (2 tsp) palm sugar // 1 passion fruit // METHOD 1 } Combine all liquid ingredients. 2 } Add juice squeezed from passion fruit. Shake. 3 } Strain to a martini glass. 4 } Dust the glass rim with palm sugar.
Photo captions: Fish and prawn amok ensconced in a coconut shell and served with steamed rice (top left). The traditional Khmer dish wrapped in a banana leaf (top right). Apsara cocktail made with palm wine, rice wine and tart pineapple juice (bottom right). Chef de Cuisine, Theam Pisith (bottom left).
culinary inspirations travel & food Sacks of local spices (top left). Carved stone faces at Bayon Temple (top right). A woman makes rice noodles using the time-honored mortar and pestle (far right). White rice noodles used for traditional Num Banh Chok soup (near right). Temple spires of Angkor Wat (bottom right). Fresh vegetables, herbs and edible flowers at a local market (bottom left).