THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (34 page)

1½ cups white glutinous rice

1
cups canned coconut milk

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1. Place the rice in a bowl and add enough water to completely cover the rice. Soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain.
   
2. Line a steamer basket with wet cheesecloth. Spread the rice evenly over the cheesecloth. Place the container over rapidly boiling water. Cover and steam until tender, about 25 minutes; set aside.
   
3. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt and heat on medium-high. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour over the rice, stir to combine, and let rest for 30 minutes.
   
4. To serve, place in small bowls or on plates. Garnish with mangoes, papayas, or other tropical fruit.
   

2 cups short-grained rice

2 cups water

1 cup coconut cream

¼ cup toasted coconut (see “Toasted Coconut” on page 16)

1. Put the rice, water, and coconut cream in a medium-sized saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
   
2. Let the rice rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
   
3. Fluff the rice and stir in the toasted coconut and fruit.
   

1 cup coconut cream

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 ripe mangoes, thinly sliced (or other tropical fruits)

3 cups cooked Sweet Sticky Rice (see recipe on page 184)

1. For the sauce, place the coconut cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
2. To serve, arrange mango slices on each plate. Place a mound of rice next to the fruit. Top the rice with some of the sauce.
   

Peeling, Pitting, and Slicing a Mango

Cut the skin off the mango lengthwise on both sides and peel back the skin. Cut the flesh off the mango pit in long vertical strips. Slice or dice as desired.

1 ripe pineapple

¼ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup short-grained rice

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger, divided

3 tablespoons roasted cashew nuts, chopped

1. Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, leaving the leaves intact on 1 side. Scoop out the pineapple flesh of both halves, leaving a ½-inch edge on the half with the leaves. Dice the pineapple fruit from 1 half and purée the fruit from the other half in a food processor along with the sugar and salt; set aside.
   
2. Strain the fruit purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Add enough water to make 1¾ cups. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
   
3. Rinse and drain the rice. Stir the rice into the pineapple purée. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of the ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
   
4. Mix the reserved pineapple cubes into the rice.
   
5. To serve, spoon the rice into the hollowed out pineapple that has the leaves. Garnish with the remaining ginger and the roasted cashews.
   

Crystallized Ginger

Crystallized ginger is small ginger pieces, usually about ½-inch dice, that has been simmered in syrup and then dried. The result is a slightly chewy, spicy-sweet candylike condiment. It can be found in specialty grocery stores.

1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package instructions

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, divided

2 cups raspberries, blueberries, or other fresh fruit, the best 12 berries reserved for garnish

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1 tablespoon unflavored rum or coconut-flavored rum

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Place the puff pastry sheet on a work surface and cut into 12 equalsized pieces. Place the pastry pieces on a baking sheet.
   
3. Bake the pastry approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a sifter to shake a bit of the confectioner?s sugar over the puff pastry. Return to the oven and continue baking for approximately 5 minutes or until golden. Place the puff pastry on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
   
4. Place the berries in a food processor and briefly process to form a rough purée.
   
5. Whip the cream with the remaining confectioner?s sugar until thick, but not stiff. Stir in the coconut and the rum.
   
6. To serve, place 1 piece of puff pastry in the middle of each serving plate, spoon some cream over the pastry, and then top with some purée. Place another pastry on top, garnish with some of the remaining berries, any leftover juice from the purée, and a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar.
   

(1-inch) pieces peeled gingerroot, slightly mashed

1 cup half-and-half

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar A variety of tropical fruits, sliced

1. In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the ginger and the half-and-half to a slight simmer. Do not boil.
   
2. In the meantime, whisk together the eggs yolks and the sugar.
   
3. Slowly pour the hot half-and-half into the egg mixture, stirring constantly so that the eggs do not cook.
   
4. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
   
5. Pour the crèmes anglaise through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature.
   
6. Pour over slices of your favorite tropical fruits.
   

Freezing Ginger

Ginger freezes fantastically. However, you may want to peel it, cut it into 1-inch pieces, and then wrap it tightly before doing so.

8 oranges

3 cups water

1½ cups sugar

4–6 teaspoons rose water

1. Peel and segment the oranges. Place them in a bowl, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator.
   
2. In a saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil over mediumhigh heat. Boil gently for 15 to 20 or until the mixture becomes syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the rose water. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
   
3. To serve, place orange segments in individual dessert cups. Pour rose water syrup over the top.