THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (11 page)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1 14-ounce bag shredded sweetened coconut

1. Peel the root vegetables and cut them into flat
   -inch-thick strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
   
2. Combine the flours in a large mixing bowl and stir in ½ cup of water. Continue adding water ¼ cup at a time until a mixture resembling pancake batter is formed. Stir in remaining ingredients.
   
3. Fill a medium-sized saucepan a third to a half full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
   
4. Add some of the vegetables to the batter, coating them well. Using a slotted spoon or Asian strainer, place the vegetables in the hot oil. (Be careful here: The oil may spatter.) Fry the vegetables, turning them occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer the fried vegetables to a stack of paper towels to drain, then serve immediately.
   

1 cup shredded fresh coconut

cup brown sugar

cup shrimp paste

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup chopped lime segments

½ cup chopped peanuts

½ cup dried shrimp

1–2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced

20–25 medium-sized spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

1. Place the coconut in a medium-sized sauté pan and cook over medium heat until browned, about 20 minutes; set aside to cool.
   
2. In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Mix in the shrimp paste until well combined. Set the sauce aside.
   
3. Place the coconut, onion, lime pieces, peanuts, dried shrimp, and jalapeños in a medium-sized serving bowl; gently toss to combine.
   
4. To serve, place 4 to 5 spinach leaves (depending on the size of the leaves) on each serving plate. Top each leaf with approximately 1 tablespoon of the coconut mixture and drizzle a bit of sauce over the coconut.
   
5. To eat, roll up the spinach leaf around the coconut mixture and pop the whole bundle in your mouth. Pass additional sauce separately.
   

¼ cup chopped shallots

¼ cup chopped garlic

¼ cup chopped lemongrass, inner portion only

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

½ teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

5–10 dried chilies, seeded, soaked, and shredded

½ tablespoon salt

1 pound boneless whitefish steak, minced

1 egg, beaten

½ pound French beans, trimmed and finely chopped

Vegetable oil for frying

1. Place the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, peppercorns, lime peel, shrimp paste, chilies, and salt in a food processor or blender and process to form a smooth paste.
   
2. Add the fish to the food processor and pulse until well combined with the spice paste. Add the beaten egg and combine once more. Transfer the fish mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the green beans.
   
3. Using approximately 1 tablespoon of fish mixture, form a flat, round cake; repeat until all of the mixture is used.
   
4. Heat approximately
   to ¼ inch of vegetable oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat in a skillet or deep fryer; fry the fish cakes until golden.
   
5. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
   

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 (½-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and minced

teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

8 large scallops, cleaned

1. In a pan large enough to hold all of the scallops, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and ginger, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
   
2. Add the coriander, soy sauce, and water, stirring to combine; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Allow the pan to cool slightly.
   
3. Add the scallops to the pan and spoon the reserved liquid over the top of them. Return the pan to the stove, increasing the heat to medium-high. Cover the pan and let the scallops steam for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until done to your liking. Serve immediately.
   

Cleaning Out Whole Scallops

If you buy scallops whole, there is an easy way to clean out the meat! Simply put the scallops on ice for about 10 minutes, which will cause them to open up. Then, using a sturdy tablespoon, slide the spoon in-between the open shell and twist open. Then use the spoon to scoop out the meat — that's it!

Juice of 1–2 limes

½ pound ground pork

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 shallot, thinly sliced

¼ tablespoon (or to taste) ground dried chili pepper

5 sprigs cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon toasted rice powder (available in Asian specialty stores)

Lettuce and/or large basil leaves

1. Squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the ground pork and let marinate for a few minutes.
   
2. Heat a large skillet on high. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and then immediately add the pork; stir-fry until the pork is cooked through. (Don't worry if the pork sticks at first — it will eventually loosen.)
   
3. Pour off any fat that has accumulated in the pan and then put the pork in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining lime juice (to taste), fish sauce, shallot, ground chili pepper, cilantro, and toasted rice; stir to combine thoroughly.
   
4. To serve, place the mixture in a serving bowl and let guests use the lettuce and basil leaves to scoop out the mixture.