Thai | Saveur

Thai Green Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang)

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:01 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

A street food favorite in the night markets of Thailand, this Thai green mango salad recipe, known as som tum mamuang, is a refreshing adaptation of a more widely known version made with papaya. Usually served as an appetizer, this spicy-sweet salad makes splendid use of crunchy and tart unripe mangoes.

A fruit shredder can make quick work of slicing the mangoes. A mortar and pestle is also key for extracting flavor and fragrance from the aromatics and fruit (and is a worthwhile investment for all kinds of cooking). When making this dish, cooks in Thailand traditionally use a larger mortar than what is typically found in the U.S.

This recipe originally ran in our June/July 2010 print issue with the story “Everything Is Illuminated,” by James Oseland.

Yield: 2

Time: 25 minutes

2 Tbsp. small dried shrimp
8 red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ medium shallot, finely chopped
3 small, green unripe mangoes (about 1½ lbs.), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
18 green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-in. lengths
14 grape tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbsp. roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a large mortar and pestle, pound the shrimp until coarsely ground; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. To the mortar, add the chiles, garlic, and shallot and pound until bruised. Working in batches, add the mangoes and pound, using a spoon to scrape the sides and combine well after each batch, until the fruit is softened slightly and fully coated in the aromatics. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
To the mortar, add the green beans and tomatoes and lightly pound to extract their juices. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, then transfer to the bowl with the mango mixture and toss well. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with the crushed dried shrimp and peanuts, and serve at room temperature.

The post Thai Green Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang) appeared first on Saveur.

Laabify Your Life

Pailin Chongchitnant — Mon, 01 May 2023 03:32:44 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

This recipe is brought to you by the SAVEUR Cookbook Club, our passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe celebrating our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through cookbooks new and old, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

Cookbook author and host of the YouTube channel Pailin’s Kitchen, Pailin Chongchitnant believes that you can laabify anything—from last night’s pork roast to slivers of this morning’s omelette to a cup or two of vegetables, saved from the crisper drawer. Tart, spicy, and fresh, Chongchitnant’s “leftover anything” laab recipe is also guaranteed to “fix” lackluster proteins like dry Thanksgiving turkey, the overcooked ends of roast beef, and under seasoned baked or fried tofu.

Laab is usually served with Thai-style sticky rice, which you can learn how to make here, or you can swap it out for steamed jasmine rice. If you’re taking it easy on carbs, you can leave the rice out entirely and instead wrap up scoops of laab in soft lettuce leaves. Roasting whole dried chiles before grinding them to flakes or powder is a popular technique in Thai cooking. Make your own or look for roasted chile flakes at your local Southeast Asian grocery store.

This recipe is adapted from Pailin Chongchitnant’s cookbook Sabai: 100 Simple Thai Recipes for Any Day of the Week.

Yield: 4

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the laab:

1 Tbsp. uncooked jasmine or Thai sticky rice
5 oz. leftover cooked meat and/or vegetables
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Pinch sugar
Roasted chile flakes (store-bought or homemade)
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced shallots
Handful fresh mint, Thai basil, cilantro, and other fresh herbs

For serving:

English cucumber, sliced
Sticky rice or jasmine rice
Romaine or butter lettuce

Instructions

To a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, add the rice and cook, stirring continuously, until the rice is evenly dark brown. (Don’t walk away from the stove; the rice may start to smoke, so make sure the kitchen is well ventilated.) Transfer the toasted rice to a plate to cool, then transfer to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and pulverize to a medium-fine powder with a few larger pieces for texture. Set aside.
Thinly slice, chop, or shred your leftovers into small pieces. Decide how best to process depending on the ingredient: Poultry and braised pork is best shredded; beef, pork chops and tenderloin, and egg is best thinly sliced; most vegetables are best coarsely chopped. If cold, heat the leftovers slightly so they are just barely warm or at room temperature (you can do this in the microwave or give them a quick sauté in a skillet.)
In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chile flakes, and shallots, until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Add the leftovers, reserved toasted rice powder, and the fresh herbs and toss to coat in the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste with more fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chile flakes. Serve the laab warm or at room temperature with sliced cucumber, rice, and lettuce leaves on the side.

The post Laabify Your Life appeared first on Saveur.

Old-School Pad Gaprao

Pailin Chongchitnant — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 22:10:11 +0000

Excerpted from Sabai by Pailin Chongchitnant. Copyright © 2023 Pailin Chongchitnant. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

This recipe is brought to you by SAVEUR Cookbook Club, our passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe celebrating our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through cookbooks new and old, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

Pad gaprao (often misspelled as “pad kra pao”) is a true staple of the Thai diet, sold by street vendors and at fancy restaurants, and made in homes all over the country. Cookbook author Pailin Chongchitnant calls this version adapted from her cookbook Sabai: 100 Simple Thai Recipes for Any Day of the Week—“old school” because it’s so simple, seasoned only with fish sauce and basil. Newer takes on the classic dish include add-ins like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and veggies, but Chongchitnant’s original pad gaprao recipe is easier to prepare—and preserves a little Thai culinary history in the process. If you can’t find holy basil, don’t be tempted to swap in Thai basil—Italian basil is in fact a closer substitute.

Pad gaprao is typically paired with a fried egg when served as a one-dish meal. If serving as part of a multi-dish Thai meal, you can omit the egg. For an old-school pad gaprao experience, make this dish as spicy as you can handle—it’s not just about the heat, as chiles also provide flavor that’s important to the dish. Chongchitnant uses a mixture of mild and hot chiles; the mild ones add the necessary chile flavor without overpowering the dish with spice. Red bell pepper will work, but she suggests you try to find something smaller and less watery (we like Jimmy Nardellos). The bird’s eye chile seeds can be removed to moderate the heat further.

Yield: 4

Time: 15 minutes

2–3 bird’s eye chiles
⅓ cup coarsely chopped mild red peppers
7 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying
4 large eggs
1 lb. lean ground pork
2 Tbsp. fish sauce, plus more
2 tsp. sugar, plus more
1½ cups holy basil or Italian basil leaves
4 cups steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the bird’s eye chiles to a fine paste. Add the mild red peppers and garlic and continue pounding to a coarse paste, then set aside.
Line a large plate with paper towels and set it by the stove. To a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add oil to a depth of ⅓ inch. Once the oil is hot, carefully crack in one egg and cook, using a spoon to occasionally baste the top of the egg with the hot oil, until the whites are crispy and browned and the yolks are cooked to the desired doneness, about 1 minute for a runny yolk, or 2 minutes for a set yolk. Using a heat-proof spatula, transfer the egg to the lined plate; keep warm while you repeat with the remaining eggs.
To a wok set over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil and the reserved chile-garlic paste. Stir-fry until the garlic is just beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the ground pork, and, using a heat-proof spatula, quickly toss to mix with the chile-garlic paste. Add the fish sauce and sugar, and continue stir-frying until the pork is fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add the basil and stir just until the leaves have wilted. Season to taste with more fish sauce and sugar as needed.
Divide the rice among 4 plates. Top each serving with the pad gaprao followed by a fried egg and serve hot

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Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup)

Nancie McDermott — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:33:49 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING BY CHRISTINE ALBANO; PROP STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

Tom yum goong belongs to the family of Thai soups with the prefix “tom yum,” meaning, “boiled together,” with the suffix “goong” translating as prawns or shrimp. Fragrant with lime juice, makrut lime leaves, and lemongrass, this tom yum soup recipe is based on one from Nancie McDermott, author of Real Thai. Find nam prik pao—roasted Thai chile paste—from your local Asian grocery store or order it online from Umamicart.

Yield: 2

Time: 25 minutes

3 large fresh lemongrass stalks
4 cups chicken stock
12 fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves, divided
1 cup canned straw mushrooms, drained
2–4 Tbsp. nam prik pao (roasted Thai chile paste)
8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fish sauce
4–6 bird’s eye chiles, stemmed and smashed with the side of a knife
3 scallions, cut into 1-in. lengths
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Steamed rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Trim the tip and root ends of lemongrass stalks and remove and discard their tough outer layers. Using a meat mallet or the side of a large knife, smash the stalks to flatten them, then tie each stalk into a knot and set aside.
To a small pot, add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the lemongrass and half the lime leaves. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until the broth is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Remove and discard lemongrass and lime leaves, and turn up the heat to high. Stir in the mushrooms and nam prik pao, to taste, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and fish sauce and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 45 seconds. To a serving bowl or soup tureen, add the remaining lime leaves and the chiles, scallions, and lime juice. Just before serving, pour the soup into the serving bowl and stir to combine. Serve hot, with steamed rice, if you like.

The post Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup) appeared first on Saveur.

Shake Off the Winter Blues with Leah Cohen’s Tropical Seafood Feast

Kat Craddock — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 20:25:00 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

Don’t fear the dinner party! We’re of the opinion that hosting is so much more fun when guests are welcomed into the kitchen. This is Dinner at Kat’s—a new series wherein SAVEUR editorial director Kat Craddock welcomes buzzy chefs, cookbook authors, and wine and spirits pros into her home for a day of cooking and connection. There’s no mystery behind throwing a successful dinner party. Find the menus, recipes, drinks, shopping tips, and tricks to make it happen right here.

The Guest:

While winter root veggies and hearty braises have their charms, come December, I’m always jonesing for lighter and brighter fare. Chef and cookbook author Leah Cohen grew up in New York’s Westchester County and now lives in Jersey City, so she’s no stranger to the Northeast’s dragging, dreary winters. The food at her restaurants—Pig & Khao on the Lower East Side and Piggyback up by Madison Square Garden—is inspired by Leah’s extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia and her own Filipino heritage. In the bone-chilling depths of winter, her bright, chile-laced fare is the next-best-thing to a Southeast Asian vacation.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Leah kept her kitchens open, coming into the city daily to prepare meals for front-line workers through the Rethink Chinatown Initiative. These days, business is more or less back to normal, and between running her restaurants and raising her two sons with her husband and business partner Ben Byruch, and judging the hit PBS show, The Great American Recipe, Leah has plenty to keep her busy. So I was over-the-moon that she agreed to join me for dinner.

Photography by Belle Morizio

The Menu:

Photography by Belle Morizio

The Big Night:

Photography by Belle Morizio

Leah and I hit up the Union Square Greenmarket for some provisions in the morning, then headed back to my apartment to cook. Back in my pastry cheffing days, I loved to perk up guests’ palates in the winter with tropical flavors and plenty of in-season citrus. So when she suggested expanding that sunny vibe throughout the meal with a crunchy green mango salad and a tart and tamarind-laced pot of sinigang, I knew we were in for a treat.
SAVEUR’s senior recipes editor, Benjamin Kemper, was in town from Madrid that day too, so he came over to join us. Benjamin’s a good pal, and one of the people I work with the most every day. But, while I’ve tested, edited, and eaten so many of his recipes, we almost never get the chance to cook and eat together. A restaurant vet himself, he knows his way around the kitchen, and the three of us clicked into sync right away, slicing, shredding, and steaming through our mise en place over our tropical, happy-hour cocktails.

Leah and I knew we were going to want to nosh on something salty and fried while we cooked, so she showed us how to make ukoy—crunchy sweet potato fritters with Chinese chives and baby shrimp. Doused in spicy, seasoned cane vinegar and paired with our sweet drinks, they were, in no uncertain terms, a revelation.

Ukoy are great for a party. Everyone loves fried food, you can make them in advance, and they’ll still stay crispy.
– Leah Cohen

For our main course, Leah decided to make one of her family favorites. Sinigang—a tamarind-laced Filipino soup—is home cooking at its best. There are many traditional variations, which can include fatty pork, chicken, or seafood. The chef grew up eating her mom’s red snapper sinigang, and still today, it’s the only style of the dish she makes. Impressive and colorful enough for a dinner party, the recipe is also easy, mild, and nourishing enough for a soothing sick-day supper—in other words, you’re going to want to bookmark this one.

My mom used Mama Sita’s, so it reminds me of when she made sinigang when I was growing up. It’s all about the nostalgia for me.
–Leah Cohen

Anticipating that Leah’s savory dishes would take up a good bit of space in my little city kitchen, I made sure our dessert course was squared away a day ahead of time. I found a great, old-school chocolate-dipped macaroon recipe in our archives that I whipped up in homage to Leah’s native New York, then echoed the cookies’ tropical notes with a rum-spiked coconut sorbet.

At The Bar:

Our classic cocktail expert, Shannon Mustipher, wrote a fantastic book on Tiki drinks, so when she saw our menu, she was thrilled to develop a recipe that honored the genre’s Filipino roots. For the Mabunga cocktail, she infused a bottle of Kasama’s aged Filipino rum with unrefined coconut oil, then added classic Tiki and Filipino flavors: banana, coconut, and calamansi. Shannon was on her way to a specialty rum event in Philly and couldn’t stick around long. But, once she dropped off the ingredients, Benjamin took over the necessary bartending duties, crushing ice and mixing drinks for us like a pro.

Shopping All-Stars:

Pro Tips:

Many Tiki-style drinks benefit from a generous scoop of crushed ice. If your fridge doesn’t have a crushed ice maker, do yourself a favor and break out the food processor early. Before your guests arrive, pulse ordinary ice cubes in small batches, then transfer immediately to a container in your freezer. Also note: crushed ice melts far more quickly than cubes; process double the amount of ice that you think you’ll need.
While infusing spirits with fresh or dried coconut works great, I’ve always hated how much booze was lost in the process due to absorption. “Fat-washing” is a pro bartender technique in which oils and other high-fat foods are used to infuse flavor and fragrance into spirits. Shannon’s clever use of unrefined coconut oil results in a potently coconut-scented rum with just about 100 percent yield.
I take dessert seriously, but like to get the heavy lifting out of the way ahead of time so I can focus on dinner and my guests. Popping classic coconut macaroons into the fridge immediately after dipping them in melted chocolate eliminates the need for fussy and time-consuming tempering—though if that’s your jam, by all means check out our handy how-to.
Since I had plenty of melted chocolate left over from the cookies, I took a page out of my former chef, Mindy Segal’s playbook and swirled the leftovers into half of my vegan coconut sorbet, stracciatella-style.

Get the Recipes:

Magbunga Cocktail (Coconut-Infused Rum, Banana, Pineapple, Calamansi)

Photography by Belle Morizio

Get the recipe >

Ukoy (Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fritters)

Photography by Belle Morizio

Get the recipe >

Red Snapper Sinigang

Photography by Belle Morizio

Get the recipe >

Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons

Photography by Belle Morizio

Get the recipe >

Coconut-Chip Sorbet

Photography by Belle Morizio

Get the recipe >

The post Shake Off the Winter Blues with Leah Cohen’s Tropical Seafood Feast appeared first on Saveur.

Khao Khluk Kapi (Bangkok Rice with Shrimp Paste and Sweet Pork)

Austin Bush — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 03:01:45 +0000

Austin Bush

While pad Thai was invented in Thailand, it has palpable Chinese influences; khao khluk kapi, on the other hand, could be considered an even more emblematically Thai dish. In this version, from Apavinee “Taew” Indaransi, owner of Bangkok’s Baan Varnakovida, long-grain rice is seasoned and topped with ingredients that speak to the region’s bright and diverse flavors, aromas, and textures, from sweet braised pork to tart green mango to bracing raw shallot to crispy dried shrimp. Find Thai-style shrimp paste, black soy sauce, and palm sugar at your local Asian grocery store, or order them online from Kalustyan’s.

Featured in: “This Under-the-Radar Bangkok Classic Is Worth The Trip to Thailand.”

Yield: serves 4

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the sweet pork:

2 large cilantro roots (including a bit of green stem), finely chopped (2 Tbsp.)
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. lard
6 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (1½ cups)
¼ cups (3½ oz.) soft palm sugar
10½ oz. pork neck, cubed
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. Thai black soy sauce

For the rice:

1 cup Thai long-grained rice
1 tbsp. lard
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ oz. ground pork
2 tbsp. Thai shrimp paste
¼ cups vegetable oil

For the crispy shrimp and the egg ribbons:

⅓ cups (1 oz.) small dried shrimp
2 large eggs, beaten

For serving:

1 small green (unripe) mango
24 very small bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced (1 Tbsp.)
8 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (2 cups)
Lime wedges

Instructions

Up to 3 days before you plan to serve the dish, make the sweet pork: Using a mortar and pestle, pound the cilantro roots and garlic to a coarse paste. Set aside. In a medium pot over low heat, heat the lard. Add the reserved cilantro root and garlic paste, and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shallots and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until translucent, 2–4 minutes more. Add the palm sugar and continue cooking until the sugar has melted and is beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the pork neck, 1 cup of water, the black soy sauce, and the salt. Turn the heat to medium high, bring to boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the water has evaporated, and the mixture is dark, syrupy and fragrant, around 45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
At least a couple hours before serving, make the rice: Place the grains in a small pot and rinse well until the water runs clear. Strain off the water, then measure 1 cup of fresh water into the pot. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a rapid boil for 2 or 3 seconds, then turn the heat as low as possible, cover, and cook the rice for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the lid for a few seconds to let the excess heat and moisture escape. Return the lid and let the rice rest until it has soaked up any residual heat and moisture and is starting to separate into distinct grains, about 10 minutes. Stir gently and set aside, covered, at room temperature.
To a wok or large skillet over medium heat, add the lard. When hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Add the ground pork and continue stir-frying until just cooked through, about 1 minute more. Add the shrimp paste, and continue stir-frying until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water, lower the heat to simmer and and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced to the the consistency of a chunky pasta sauce, about 5minutes. Gently stir in the reserved rice to combine, then transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the crispy shrimp and the egg ribbons: Line a heatproof plate with paper towels and set it by the stove. Wipe out the wok and set over medium-high heat; add the vegetable oil and, when the oil is hot, add the shrimp and fry, stirring occasionally, until crispy, golden and very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Using a spider skimmer or slotted metal spoon, transfer the shrimp to the lined plate and set aside. Pour any excess oil off into a heatproof jar and reserve for another use. Return the wok to the stove, turn the heat to low and add the eggs, tilting and swirling the wok to distribute in a very thin, even layer. Fry, shifting the wok to ensure that the omelet cooks evenly, around 1 minute. Using a thin spatula, flip the omelet and continue cooking on the opposite side, around 15 seconds. Remove from heat. When the omelet is cool enough to handle, roll it into a tight cylinder, then slice into thin ribbons. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Shred the mango: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the mango, then, using a sharp knife, make shallow, lengthwise incisions on one side of the fruit. Then, turn the knife crosswise and shave down along the surface of the mango, resulting in thin, irregular strands. Repeat with the remaining mango.
To serve, divide the reserved rice among four medium plates. Around each mound of rice, arrange ¼ of the sweet pork, ¼ of the omelet ribbons, ¼ of the shredded mango, ¼ of the sliced chiles, and ¼ of the sliced shallots; top each rice mound with crispy shrimp and a lime wedge and serve at room temperature.

The post Khao Khluk Kapi (Bangkok Rice with Shrimp Paste and Sweet Pork) appeared first on Saveur.

Charred Cabbage Slaw

Chris Shepherd — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 03:55:00 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

In this offbeat cabbage slaw from chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly in Houston, raw red cabbage adds a textural contrast to the grilled green cabbage, and a zippy, spicy-sweet-salty dressing goes well with the charred bits. If you’re looking for a way to balance out all the meaty (or not meaty) things you’re grilling, check out all of our slaw recipes.

Featured in: “A Houston Cookout with a Far East Reach.”

What You Will Need

Yield: serves 4-6

Time: 25 minutes

¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₄ cup fish sauce
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. sambal oelek
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
¹⁄₄ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

Instructions

To a small pot over high heat, add the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, sambal oelek, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high.) Brush the oil over the green cabbage wedges and season with salt and pepper; grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 18–20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then core and thinly slice. Transfer to a large bowl, add the reserved dressing, the chiles, onion, and red cabbage, and toss to combine. Transfer the slaw to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Kai Kawlae (Southern Thai-Style Grilled Chicken)

Austin Bush — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 21:00:00 +0000

Austin Bush

This southern Thai grilled chicken is quite possibly this area’s most famous dish. When it comes to ethnicity, culture, and religion, Thailand’s deep south has little to do with the rest of the country. Most of its residents are ethnic Malays—Muslims who speak a Malay dialect known as Yawi. Not surprisingly, the region’s food also has a lot in common with what you might find south of the border, in Malaysia. Rich, often sweet flavors dominate, and dried spices make frequent appearances.

Chicken, seasoned and grilled over coals, is a staple across Thailand, but a couple elements make this southern variant unique. Most notably, its marinade is essentially a curry, which is painted over the meat in layers as it cooks, resulting in a grilled bird that’s rich, extremely fragrant, and smoky.

This version is adapted from one by Aisamaae Tokoi, a chef and teacher at Luukrieang, a non-governmental organization that provides a home and education for orphaned children.

Dried asam fruit can be found in some Southeast Asian markets, or in a pinch, tamarind pulp may be substituted. While local vendors typically grill the dish on bamboo skewers for ease of service, when grilling at home, it’s also possible to cook the pieces unskewered, turning them with tongs.

Featured in: “This Smoky Grilled Chicken is a Taste of Thailand’s Deep South.”

Brush on the marinade when cooking the Thai grilled chicken to build layers of flavor. Austin Bush

Yield: serves 6

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the curry marinade:

5 medium mild dried chilies (such as guajillo chiles)
10 small hot dried chilies (such as chiles de arbol)
2 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. fenugreek seed
3 medium lemongrass stalks, exterior tough layers peeled, green section discarded, pale section thinly sliced thinly (about ¼ cup)
1 oz. galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
1 oz. ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 medium garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Thai shrimp paste
1 tbsp. coconut oil or vegetable oil
2¼ cups fresh coconut milk, or substitute 1¼ cups boxed (“UHT”) coconut milk diluted with 1 cups water (do not substitute canned coconut milk), divided
4 slices dried asam fruit, or substitute 1 Tbsp. tamarind pulp

For the chicken:

2¼ lb. bone-in chicken thighs (6 medium thighs)
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. kosher salt
Long-grained or sticky white rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the curry marinade: To a small pot, add the chiles and enough water to cover by an inch; then bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to rehydrate until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the water. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the chiles’ seeds and stringy membranes, then thinly slice and set aside in a colander in the sink to drip-dry for 15 minutes more.
In a wok over medium heat, dry roast the fennel seeds, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant, around 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the fenugreek, dry roast until toasted and fragrant, around 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Finally, add the reserved chiles and dry roast until toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Using a mortar and pestle, pound and grind the lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and salt to a coarse paste. Add the garlic and shallots and continue grinding to a coarse paste. Add the shrimp paste and reserved toasted spices and chiles, and continue pounding and grinding to a fine paste. (Alternatively, if using a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients and blend to a fine paste.)
To a wok or medium pot over medium-high heat, add the coconut oil and the curry paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the coconut milk and the dried asam fruit or tamarind paste, stirring continuously to combine. When the mixture is reduced and almost dry (about 5 minutes) stir in another ½ cup coconut milk. Repeat this process, using up a total of 2 cups of the coconut milk, until the mixture has the consistency of a rich, saucey curry. Remove from heat, remove and discard the dried asam fruit (or the tamarind seeds and/or stems), and set aside to cool. Measure ¼ cup of the marinade and set aside for serving.
Preheat the grill to cook over medium heat and position the grate about 3 inches above the coals or gas flame.
Prepare the chicken: Remove and discard the bones from the chicken thighs. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, turmeric powder, salt, 1 cup of the curry marinade and the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk; set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
When the grill is hot, add the chicken and cook until seared and fragrant on one side, about 5 minutes, then flip. Using a brush, apply some of the remaining marinade. Repeat this process, flipping and applying new layers of marinade, until each skewer has several layers of slightly reduced, slightly charred paste, and the chicken is cooked through but still tender, a total of around 15 minutes.
Once cooked, transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup of marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature, with long-grained or sticky rice, if desired.

The post Kai Kawlae (Southern Thai-Style Grilled Chicken) appeared first on Saveur.

Satay Udang (Shrimp Satay)

SAVEUR Editors — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 21:45:00 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

Likely introduced to Java from Middle Eastern merchants, local cooks throughout Asia eventually adapted skewered recipes with native ingredients to create their own regional variations. Ground candlenuts enrich this spicy shrimp satay, which is inspired by a popular street food from the coastal areas of Singapore. Look for them online or at your local Asian market. (If unavailable, macadamias have a similar consistency.) For even more sumptuous skewered meats, check out our guide to the best kebabs, skewers, and satays.

Yield: makes 20 Skewers

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

1 ¹⁄₂ lb. (about 40) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
¹⁄₂ cup chopped shallots
1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
8 makrut lime leaves, stemmed
3 candlenuts, or substitute 5 macadamia nuts
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 red bird's eye chiles, stemmed
One 3-inch piece ginger, chopped
3 tbsp. peanut oil
¹⁄₃ cup coconut milk

Instructions

In a bowl, toss the shrimp and lime juice; set aside. In a small food processor, puree the shallots, brown sugar, salt, lime leaves, nuts, garlic, chiles, and ginger. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the spice mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until oil separates from the paste, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, remove from heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature, then pour the liquid over the shrimp, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 and up to 4 hours.
Build a hot charcoal fire in a grill. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers and grill, spooning more marinade over the shrimp as they cook and turning occasionally, until charred, 3–5 minutes. Serve hot.

The World of Satay Beyond Shrimp

There’s nothing more delicious than satay fresh off the grill »

The post Satay Udang (Shrimp Satay) appeared first on Saveur.

Thai Iced Coffee

Austin Bush — Sat, 01 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Thai-style iced coffee at Mit Samphan Coffee in Bangkok. Austin Bush

Traditionally, coffee in Thailand is made using a cloth filter that resembles a wind sock. Known as kafae thung or kafae boran, literally “bag coffee” or “old-fashioned coffee” in Thai, this method of brewing, coupled with dark-roasted robusta beans, leads to coffee with a distinctly burnt flavor and aroma, lots of caffeine, and a very light body. When it comes to iced coffee—pretty much the standard in Thailand’s heat—all this intensity is often mellowed with a splash or more of evaporated milk; sweetened condensed milk and/or sugar may also be added if, like most Thais, you prefer your coffee sweet.

Yield: serves 2

Time: 10 minutes

¹⁄₄ cup plus 2 tbsp. coarsely-ground, very dark roasted robusta coffee
Granulated sugar or sweetened condensed milk (optional)
Evaporated milk

Instructions

In a small pot, bring a few cups of water to a boil. Moisten the filter then add the coffee grinds to it. Pour 1½ cups boiling water into a heatproof glass measuring cup. Submerge the filter in the water, alternatively steeping and agitating the grinds, for 1 minute.
While the grinds are steeping, fill 2 tall glasses with chipped ice.
Raise the filter from the hot liquid and position it over a second glass measuring cup. Pour the brewed coffee through the filter, lowering the bag into the measuring cup to steep briefly once more. Raise the filter, position it over one of the glasses, and pour half of the coffee through the grinds once more. Add sugar or condensed milk (if desired), to taste, stirring to combine. Top with evaporated milk to taste. Repeat with the second glass and serve immediately.

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