Fish Amok

Ingredients:
Curry Paste:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large shallot bulb, finely chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, ends trimmed, inner tender stalk only, finely chopped
½ inch piece galangal, peeled and finely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili paste – like Sambal Oelek
Place the first 5 ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste. Alternatively, place first 5 ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Add the remaining ingredients and pound or process until all spices are well incorporated.

Fish Amok:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon shrimp paste 
1 cup coconut milk, well shaken
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ pound firm, mild white fish – like halibut, mahi mahi, or true cod, skin removed
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, cut into ½-inch thick ribbons
1 egg
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Julianned red bell pepper
Kaffir lime leaf ribbons – thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves

Method:
Thinly slice the fish into ½-inch thick bite size pieces and set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp paste, coconut milk, sugar and salt, whisking to combine. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add the fish and spinach leaves, gently folding the fish into the curry sauce with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Let the amok simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Turn the heat off.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of the curry sauce from the pan. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and gently fold it into the curry.
Serve the amok in a bowl with a spoonful of coconut cream (the thick cream that rises to the top of the remaining coconut milk), a few julienned red pepper pieces and a sprinkling of kaffir lime leaf ribbons.

Stir fried crab with green pepper

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons garlic 
1/2 onion, sliced
4 Thai chilies, cut in half
2 blue crabs, cleaned and cut into large pieces
1 handful green peppercorns
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water or more as needed
1/2 cup Chinese celery and green onions cut into one inch length 
 
Heat the wok on high heat and stir in onion and chili; stir back and forth until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then stir in blue crab and let it cook for 2 minutes. Stir in green peppercorn, oyster sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Stir well, then add water and let it cook until the crab is completely pink in color and the crab meat is opaque, not translucent. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes for the crab meat to cook.  Add more water in between to make a good amount of sauce but not too watery. Last, stir in Chinese celery and green onion and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Serve right away with steamed jasmine rice.

Green mango salad

Ingredients
1 medium size green mango, skin peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon lime juice (1 lime)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup dried shrimp, pre-soak in water about 30 mins
1 teaspoon chopped fresh bird’s eye chili (optional)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh chopped herbs (mint, green onions, sawtooth, or basil)
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Method:
Heat a small pan and lightly oil it. Add dried shrimps and give it a quick stir. Fry it to give them a nice crispy texture. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and lightly pound it to break up the fibers. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt and fresh chili.
Add shallots, green mango, dried shrimp and fresh herbs. Toss the salad to combine. Serves.

Pineapple chicken fried rice

Ingredients
1 skinless chicken thigh, bone removed and cut into bite size
1 ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, divided
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ small onion, diced
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup diced pineapple
oil for frying
a handful of cilantro leaves
Method:
1) Marinade chicken with ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar and set aside. Meanwhile you can prep the other ingredients while the meat is marinating.
2) Prepare seasoning by mixing the remainder oyster sauce, fish sauce and curry powder together. Set aside.
3) Add chicken and stir fry until they are cook half way. Follow by diced onions, and bell peppers. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
4) Continue on by stir frying the rice. Make sure to spread out the grains evenly.
5) Once the rice grains starts to pop up (fried) return the chicken, diced onions, bell peppers. Add seasoning and stir fry quickly for about 1 minute.
6) Finally add pineapple and stir fry to combine. Turn off the heat and throw in the cilantro leaves reserving some for garnish.

Sweet and sour fish soup

Ingredients:
60 g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) tamarind pulp
2 lemongrass stems, trimmed
2½ tablespoons chopped palm sugar (jaggery)
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) fish sauce
1.5 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) chicken stock or water
½ small ripe sweet pineapple, trimmed, cored and cut into small chunks
750 g (1 lb 10 oz) firm white fish fillets (such as ling, blue eye or snapper), trimmed and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) chunks
4 small tomatoes (about 500 g/1 lb 2 oz in total), cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) chunks or thin wedges
300 g (10½ oz) sugarsnap peas, trimmed
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1–2 small red chillies, thinly sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced (optional)
herbs such as mint, coriander (cilantro), Thai basil and Vietnamese mint, to serve
trimmed bean sprouts, to serve

Method
1) Put the tamarind pulp in a small heatproof bowl and pour 375 ml (13 fl oz/1½ cups) boiling water over. Stir with a fork to loosen the tamarind and leave to soak for 15 minutes, or until the tamarind has softened. Push the mixture through a sieve into a very large saucepan or stockpot, discarding the solids.
2) Cut the lemongrass stems in half lengthways, then bruise them with the back of a large knife. Tie the lemongrass pieces into knots, or fold them into a loose bundle and secure with kitchen string. Add to the pan with the palm sugar, fish sauce and stock. Slowly bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat to medium–low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add the pineapple, fish, tomatoes and sugarsnap peas. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 2 minutes, or until the pineapple and vegetables begin to soften and the fish is cooked through. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the spring onion, chilli and lime leaves, if using.
4) Divide the soup among warm bowls and serve immediately, with the herbs and bean sprouts passed separately.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
6 round rice paper wrappers
1/3 cup mint leaves, washed and dried
1/3 cup coriander leaves, washed and dried
1 cup thin rice noodles, boiled, drained and cooled
1 cup bean sprouts
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded or cut into thin strips
18 strips of cucumber, cut 10 cm x 0.5 cm
18 prawns, cleaned shelled and steamed
30 chives, approx. 15 cm long
    
Method:
1) Keep a bowl of warm water on hand. Place a sheet of rice paper on a flat surface in front of you. Dip your fingers in the warm water, and apply to the rice paper turning it in a circular motion. When the paper softens, you can proceed with the filling.
2) Start by adding 5-6 mint leaves and coriander leaves on the edge of the rice paper closest to you. Cover the leaves with 2 tablespoons of the noodles. Top with one heaped tablespoon of bean sprouts.
3) Roll the rice paper forward, tightly. Now at three cucumber sticks and some carrots. Roll the rice paper again, making sure you keep it tight but not so taut that it tears. At this point you can tuck the side flaps towards the center.
4) Add a row of three prawns, and roll once again. Now add five chives with at least half the length protruding outside the roll.
5) Make the final turn and seal well with a little water. Repeat for the remainder of rolls.

Serve as large rolls or cut in half and serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Charcoal-Grilled Fish

Ingredients:
1 good-sized fish, such as trout or carp, gutted and rinsed, head removed if you like
8 oz. mung bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh basil, cilantro and mint, stalks removed and leaves chopped
1 lettuce, broken into leaves
2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
SAUCE:


3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 red Thai chilies, seeded and chopped
1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp palm sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 coconut (coconut water)

Method:
1) Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, chilies and ginger with sugar to form a paste. Add fish sauce, lime juice and coconut juice and blend well. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
2) Prepare the barbecue. Place the fish over the charcoal and grill for 2-3 minutes each side until cooked right through. Alternatively, use a conventional grill or broiler.
3) Lay out the beansprouts, herbs and lettuce leaves on a large plate and place the peanuts in a bowl. Serve while hot and allow each person to choose what to put on leaves.

Shrimp tom yum

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock (4 cups water add 10g Ankee chicken powder)
2 large onions, thinly sliced 
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 
1 shallot, thinly sliced 
2 thick slices fresh ginger 
2 thick slices galangal
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, gently bashed with a rolling pin and cut into quarters crosswise 
3 to 4 kaffir lime leaves 
1 clove garlic, minced 
20 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined or 1 lb cubed or diced 
boneless, skinless chicken (optional) 
1 (14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken 
8 oz Gemini or white button mushrooms, sliced 
2 plum tomatoes, diced 
2 to 3 tsp fish sauce
1 lb rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 2 hours then drained (optional) 
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish 

1) In a large pot, combine the stock, onions, carrots, shallot, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, tom yum paste, lime leaves and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes for the flavors to develop. 
2) Add the shrimp. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are no longer pink (about 3 minutes).
3) Add the coconut milk. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Remove the ginger, galangal (if using) and lemongrass. Season with fish sauce to taste. Serves.