THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (15 page)

1. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients; set aside.
   
2. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Fluff the rice, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Allow the rice to cool slightly.
   
3. Pour approximately
   of the dressing over the rice and fluff to coat. Continue to fluff the rice every so often until it is completely cooled.
   
4. Add the green onions, carrots, red pepper, serrano chili pepper, mint, cilantro, and shrimp to the rice. Toss with the remaining dressing to taste.
   
5. To serve, place on individual plates and garnish with peanuts and lime wedges.
   

Vinegar Distinctions

Rice wine vinegar has a less sharp flavor than distilled white vinegar and matches particularly well with sesame oil.

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons fish sauce

cup lime juice

2 tablespoons prepared chili sauce

For the salad:

¾ pound cooked shrimp

¼ cup chopped mint

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

Bibb lettuce leaves

1. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients except the lettuce. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat.
   
3. To serve, place the lettuce leaves on individual plates. Mound a portion of the shrimp salad on top of the leaves. Serve immediately.
   

Peeling Tomatoes

The trick to peeling tomatoes is to quickly blanch them in boiling water before removing the skin. Bring a pan of water to boil, then throw in the tomato for 15 to 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomato from the water and run it under cold water until it is cool enough to handle. Using the tip of a knife, pull up a small piece of skin, then simply pull the skin off the flesh
.

8 ounces rice noodles

1 stalk lemongrass, finely minced (inner core only)

1 cup citrus fruit (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, etc.) peeled, sectioned, and chopped

cup chopped peanuts, plus extra for garnish

1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

3 green onions, sliced

cup chopped mint leaves

cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

½–1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¾ cup lime juice (approximately 4–5 limes)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and ground pepper to taste

1. Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes or until soft. While the noodles are soaking, bring a large pot of water to boil.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the lemongrass, citrus, peanuts, tomato, scallions, mint, and cilantro.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. (Adjust seasoning to your taste.)
   
4. Drain the noodles from their soaking liquid and add them to the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, drain them again and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Allow the noodles to drain thoroughly.
   
5. Add the noodles and the dressing to the citrus mixture and toss to combine. Set aside.
   
6. Brush the shrimp with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or sauté for approximately 2 minutes per side or until done to your liking.
   
7. To serve, mound the noodles in the center of a serving platter. Place the grilled shrimp on top and garnish with peanuts and cilantro.
   

½ pound squid rings, poached in salted water for 30 seconds

½ pound salad shrimp

1 (6-ounce) can chopped clams, drained

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and very thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed, inner core minced

1 small serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped mint

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

¼ cup fish sauce

Sugar to taste

Bibb lettuce leaves

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the squid, shrimp, clams, cucumber, and celery; set aside.
   
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the onion, lemongrass, serrano chili, mint, garlic, green onion, and fish sauce. Add sugar to taste.
   
3. Pour the dressing over the seafood mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
   
4. To serve, place lettuce leaves in the center of 4 to 6 plates. Mound the seafood salad on top of the lettuce leaves.