Thai Cuisine (Part 1)
This article was written by Kristel Matousek and was featured in our December issue of Home By Design magazine. Recipe and photographs by Kristel Matousek from www.photoricalfood.com. To visit the original Home By Design article, click here.
AN AMERICAN ADAPTATION
CRISPY SPRING ROLLS & PLUM SAUCE
Makes 15
- 6 ounces plum sauce (recipe to follow)
- 1 cup rehydrated Thai vermicelli glass noodles
- ½ pound unseasoned ground pork
- 3 cloves garlic, pasted
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 15 spring roll wrappers
- Oil as needed, for frying
- Water as needed
Plum Sauce
- 6 pickled salted plums (1.5 ounces), pitted
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup palm sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, pasted
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes
For the plum sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer then puree with an immersion or stand blender until smooth. Return the sauce to moderate heat and bring to a simmer once more. Cook and reduce to sauce consistency.
Remove from heat and refrigerate.
For the spring rolls, rehydrate the noodles by submerging them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Once rehydrated, strain off excess water.
Preheat a sauté pan over moderate heat. In a bowl, combine the ground pork and garlic. Season with pepper and 1 tablespoon fish sauce.
Add the oil to the heated pan and cook the seasoned pork. Add the cabbage, carrot, rehydrated noodles, and cilantro to the ground pork, cooking until soft but not mushy. Season with remaining fish sauce and remove from heat to cool fully.
Once cooled, place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface with the corner facing you. Portion ¼ cup of filling and place it on the lower third of the wrapper, near the corner closest to you. Lift that corner over the filling, tucking it under to enclose, and roll slightly to the middle of the wrapper. Moisten the visible edges of the wrapper with water, then fold the right and left corners inward to the center. Continue rolling to form a cylinder. Set aside and repeat the folding process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Preheat the frying oil in a wok, saucepan, or fryer to 350 degrees F. Gently lower the prepared rolls into the oil. Cook until golden brown. Once fried, remove from oil and place on a rack or paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil.
Serve warm with chilled plum sauce.
| MAKE IT VEGETARIAN. Substitute pork with finely diced pressed tofu. |
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
Serves 4
- 1 pound green papaya
- 4 ounces carrot
- Ice water, as needed
- 2 garlic chives, julienned
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 Thai chilis, finely diced
- ¼ cup palm sugar
- 1 green leaf lettuce leaf, for serving
Julienne the carrot and papaya. Submerge the julienned pieces in ice water as you prep them. Strain off the ice and water, then toss the papaya and carrots with the garlic chives.
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, chilis, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the liquid over the papaya and carrot mixture, again tossing to coat.
Place the green leaf lettuce on a serving plate and top with the prepared papaya salad. Serve and eat immediately.
| KEEP IT COLD. Can be refrigerated and served chilled, however, the papaya will wilt slightly and lose some of its crisp. |