Thai Fried Rice

When we were in Bangkok recently we wanted to go to David Thompson's restaurant, but the food at our hotel was so fabulous we never went out to eat. We have his giant Thai Cookbook: Thai Street Food, and made Fried Rice with Crab from it. (we substituted Shrimp and Scallops for the Crab. This recipe is a keeper!

Fried Rice with Crab

Thai Street Food

David Thompson

SERVES 2

2-3         garlic cloves, peeled

good pinch of salt

3-4         tablespoons vegetable oil - peanut is a good choice

2 eggs - ideally 1 duck and 1 chicken

2         cups cooked rice - freshly cooked and warm but not steaming hot

2-3         tablespoons light soy sauce

pinch of white sugar

pinch of ground white pepper

approximately 100 g (3 oz) cooked crabmeat - more, if feeling generous

3         spring (green) onions, trimmed and finely

chopped coriander leaves, lime wedges and cucumber slices, to serve

chillies in fish sauce (see below), to serve

+ CHILLIES IN FISH SAUCE

¼         cup fish sauce

5-10         bird's eye chillies (scuds), finely sliced

1         garlic clove, finely sliced – optional but desirable good squeeze of lime juice – optional

good pinch of chopped coriander

Combine the fish sauce, chillies and garlic in a bowl and set aside. It keeps for some time - in fact it becomes richer and milder as it settles for a day. Make sure it is covered if you are making it in advance - and if the fish sauce evaporates, add an equivalent amount of water to refresh it. Just before serving, stir through the lime juice and coriander.

FRIED RICE WITH CRAB

This is a classic version of fried rice and one of the best. Fried rice made its debut on the streets of Thailand about 80 years ago. In the Chinese community, where fried rice has been eaten for much longer than this, it is traditionally one of the last dishes to be served at a celebratory banquet - say, for a wedding or to mark Chinese New Year - and so it has to be good to entice diners to take some.

Most authorities advocate allowing the cooked rice to cool completely, but I have found that if the rice is too cold it clumps - and forcing the clumps apart during frying breaks the rice grains. I actually prefer rice that is still slightly warm, ideally freshly cooked then left to cool for an hour or two. If it is too hot, the fried rice will be sticky; too cold, and it will be slightly tough and possibly marred by broken grains.

Some cooks say the best fried rice is made with an equal amount of duck and chicken eggs, and here's where the controversy begins: should the egg go in before the rice or afterwards? Each cook will have their own stance, but I believe the egg should go first. If the egg is added after the rice, I find it can make the fried rice gluey, sticky and heavy - especially if using a duck egg or two.

Blue swimmer crab has the sweetest meat so is the perfect choice for fried rice, but naturally almost any crabmeat will do. If you want the freshest most succulent crabmeat then you must cook and shell the crab yourself - it really does make a difference. Almost any other meat can be used, including fresh pork, chicken, prawns, Chinese barbeque pork or duck; if using raw meat or seafood, add them to the wok along with the garlic to ensure both are ready at the same time.

In Thailand, fried rice always comes with a few slices of cucumber and tomato as well as a few wedges of lime to squeeze over the rice. I like the refreshing crunch of the cucumber, and I think the lime is de rigueur, but I am not so convinced about the tomato.

·      Crush the garlic to a somewhat coarse paste with the salt - either by pounding it using a pestle and mortar or finely chopping it with a knife.

·      Heat a well-seasoned wok over a low-medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of the oil, then stir in the garlic paste and fry until it has lost its sharp raw aroma, has become nutty, and is just beginning to color. Take care not to burn the garlic, as this would taint the fried rice and ruin it. Crack in the egg and allow them to set slightly before stirring and scrambling, trying to keep them in quite large, soft curds. Be careful not to overcook the egg and so make it dry.

·      Add the rice, turn down the heat to low and mix and toss the rice, frying it gently and ensuring that all the grains are lightly coated with egg and oil. If it seems too dry, dribble a little extra oil down the side of the wok, but don't overdo it - the oil should just coat the rice, not swamp it.

·      Season with the soy sauce, sugar and pepper and continue to fry until the soy sauce is absorbed. Taste the rice: it should be gently seasoned, nicely but not overly salty and pleasingly rounded in flavour. Under-seasoning the rice will make it taste spare and hollow - add a little more soy sauce, if necessary. Now stir through most of the crabmeat and spring onions but reserve a little of both to sprinkle over the fried rice when serving.

·      Divide the rice between two plates and sprinkle with the reserved crabmeat and spring onions. Serve with coriander leaves, some slices of cucumber and a wedge or two of lime, and accompany with a small bowl of chillies in fish sauce.

Indian Dinner

Shu wanted to cook us a down-home Indian dinner. We of course jumped at the chance and offered our house as the venue. He made a wonderful Bangladeshi Style Chicken Biryani. Along with it he served a Riata that he made to cut the heat. We had two sets of desserts, Robert and Darryl made a Chocolate Cake and we bought dessert from McCall's Meat and Fish. (Maybe they have to add: and Bakery to the name of their store now that Karen is baking fabulous things! The dinner was perfect, transporting us back to India.

Mushroom and Sausage Risotto

One of our favorite winter dishes is Sausage Risotto. We always make this recipe Risotto con Luganegh Risotto with pork sausage from The Cuisine of Venice & Surrounding Northern Regions by Guisti-Lanham Dodi. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. The Pork Sausages were from McCall’s Meat and Fish, of course, the cheese from The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

We started with The Hungry Cat Salad. The recipe can be found in our blog of: Nov. 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe and the story of why we call it The Hungry Cat Salad.

Thai Scallops and Water Chestnuts

Pickled Cauliflower

Baked Yams

Thai Style Scallops and Waterchestnuts

Unwanted Visitor

Ice Cream, Japanese Cake and Carmel Sauce

I had wanted to make a favorite dish of ours Scallops and Fresh Water Chestnuts in Thai Pork Sauce from AsianIngredients by Bruce Cost. We used to eat in his restaurant, Monsoon, when we lived in San Francisco. I love the dish because it is made with Fresh Water Chestnuts. Like most things, if you compare the canned water chestnuts with fresh ones there is no comparison. It is a bit of work to A) find them – we went to several Asian markets before heading to a big one in Montery Park. B) clean them, they need to be peeled before using. The joy of the dish is that the water chestnuts in the sauce like identical to the scallops in the sauce. So when you pick one up, you are always surprised by the texture, crispy water chestnut of juicy scallop. It is a great dish!

We decided to invite Tom and Scott over for dinner. The previous week we had been with them to a new restaurant, Little Fork, and with our cocktails they served us a Sweet Pickled Cauliflower. I decided to surprise them (and learn for my self how to make the Cauliflower). I Googled a few recipes and decided on the recipe I wanted to try. I was really pleased with the result. It is very easy and tasty!

We had recently been to a Japanese Market in Gardena and we bought Japanese Sweet Purple Yams. Cathy baked them, then topped them with Crème Fraiche and Chives. They were extremely sweet and delicious.

With the Scallops we made Japanese Rice.

For dessert we had a German Style Layered Cake from the Japanese bakery in the market. Ice Cream and Carmel topping from McCall’s Meat and Fish, made for a decadent dessert.

Scallops and Fresh Water Chestnuts in Thai Pork Sauce

Asian Ingredients

Bruce Cost

Scallops and water chestnuts complement each other in shape and texture. A meal can be made of this rich, spicy dish with the addition of just rice and a simple green salad.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

6 to 8 fresh water chestnuts (or canned if necessary)

1         pound fresh sea scallops

2         teaspoons cornstarch

Few drops sesame oil

1         teaspoon cumin seeds

1         teaspoon fennel seeds

2         teaspoons coriander seeds

1         tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1         teaspoon minced fresh turmeric (if available)

4         garlic cloves, minced

4         small fresh red chilies, minced (including seeds)

1         stalk lemongrass (bottom third only), finely minced

¾         cup unsweetened coconut milk

½         cup water

Juice of 1 large lime

3         tablespoons fish sauce

½         teaspoons sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons peanut oil

½         pound ground pork

¼         cup coriander leaves

Wash the mud from the water chestnuts, peel them, cut them in half, and put them in a bowl of cold water until ready to use.

Rinse the scallops and cut them in half. Toss with the cornstarch and sesame oil, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Toast the seeds in a small dry skillet until fragrant; then grind them in a mortar or spice grinder and set aside. Combine the ginger, turmeric, garlic, chilies, and lemongrass in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and salt together, and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet and add the pork. Cook, stirring to separate the grains. When the meat has changed color—it shouldn't brown—add the ground spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, for blend, then add the water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it just begins to thicken. Add more water if necessary while you cook. Turn off the heat, cover, and set the sauce aside, (it may be prepared an hour or so ahead.)

Heat the remaining 1 cup oil in a wok, and when it is hot add the scallops, stirring to separate. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Drain the water chestnuts and cook them in the hot oil for 15 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon.

Reheat the pork sauce. Add the scallops and water chestnuts and stir over high heat just until hot. Turn off the heat, garnish with the coriander, transfer to a serving platter, and serve.

Cheese Soufflé

What is better on a cold rainy night than a Cheese Soufflé? They are easy to make if you follow the directions and delicious. We use the recipe from The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It is a classic.

Cheese Soufflé

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Julia Child

Souffle

Mold

Preparing the mold for the soufflé

So that the soufflé may slide easily up during its rise, butter the sides and bottom of the mold heavily. Then roll grated cheese or bread crumbs around in it, paying particular attention to the inner circumference, which must be lightly but evenly coated. Turn the mold upside down and knock it on the table to dislodge excess cheese or bread crumbs.

Placement  In The Oven

A soufflé will always perform as it should if it is placed on a rack in the middle level of a preheated 400-degree oven and the temperature is immediately reduced to 375 degrees.

General Proportions

Whether your soufflé is made with cheese, fish, spinach, or anything else, the proportions with few exceptions remain the same.

Amounts for an 8-cup mold

Ingredients

Thick bechamel or veloute sauce

3-1/2 Tb butter

4-1/2Tb flour

1-1/2 cups liquid

Egg yolks, beaten into sauce: 6

Grated Cheese: 1-1/4 Cups

Stiffly beaten egg Whites: 8

When  Is It Done?

After 25 to 30 minutes of baking in a 375-degree oven, the soufflé will have risen 2 or 3 inches over the rim of the mold and will have browned on top. If you like the center creamy, it may be served at this point, but it is fragile and will sink rapidly. It will collapse less readily if you allow it to cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until a trussing needle or thin knife plunged into the center through the side of the puff comes out clean. A well-cooked souffle will stay puffed for about 5 minutes in the turned-off hot oven. As it cools, it begins to sink. Therefore, there should be no lingering when a souffle is to be eaten.

How To Serve a Soufflé

Puncture the top of the soufflé lightly with a serving spoon and fork—held vertically—and spread it apart for each serving.

SOUFFLE AU FROMAGE

[Cheese Soufflé]

The soufflé sauce base

A 6-cup soufflé mold, page

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1         tsp butter        

1         Tb grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Measure out all your ingredients. Butter inside of soufflé mold and sprinkle with cheese.

3 Tb butter

A 2-1/2-quart saucepan

3 Tb flour

A wooden spatula or spoon

1 cup boiling milk

A wire whip

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

A pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spatula or spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat; when mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling milk at once. Beat vigorously with a wire whip until blended. Beat in the seasonings. Return over moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire whip, for i minute. Sauce will be very thick.

4         egg yolks

Remove from heat. Immediately start to separate the eggs. Drop

the white into the egg white bowl, and the yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue in the same manner with the rest of the eggs. Correct seasoning.

(*) May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of sauce with butter. Heat to tepid before continuing.

The egg whites and cheese

5 egg whites

A pinch of salt

3/4 cup (3 ounces) coarsely grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan, cheese

Add an extra egg white to the ones in the bowl and beat with the salt until stiff. Stir a big spoonful (about one quarter of the egg whites) into the sauce. Stir in all but a tablespoon of the cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites. Be careful not to overfold.

Baking

Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost three quarters full. Tap bottom of mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the soufflé with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Set on a rack in middle level of preheated 400-degree oven and immediately turn heat down to 375. (Do not open oven door for 20 minutes.) In 25 to 30 minutes the soufflé will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once.

Polenta al Forno With Spinach, Ricotta and Fontina

Shu joined us for dinner. We made a recipe from the New York Times: Polenta al Forno with Spinach, Ricotta and Fontina. I was dubious, that I would like it, but it turned out to be an excellent winter dish. We will make it again for sure. We started with a Date and Parmesan Salad.

tta and Fontina

.

Polenta al Forno With Spinach, Ricotta and Fontina

New York Times

TOTAL TIME

About 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

            1 pound spinach

            2 cups ricotta

            Salt and pepper

            Pinch cayenne

            1 teaspoon lemon zest

            1/4 cup grated Parmesan

            4 ounces fontina or Swiss cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

            2 tablespoons butter

            Basic soft polenta (see recipe), kept warm

PREPARATION

1.

Blanch spinach briefly in a large pot of boiling water, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Squeeze all excess moisture from spinach and roughly chop.

2.

In a large bowl, combine chopped spinach and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper, then add cayenne, lemon zest, half the Parmesan and all but 2 tablespoons of the fontina and stir well.

3.

Butter a 9- by 12-inch casserole dish. Ladle in half of the warm, soft polenta and spread with a spatula to make a thin layer. Spoon spinach mixture evenly over it. Top with remaining soft polenta and spread to smooth the surface. (May be made ahead up to this point, then covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

4.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and fontina. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

YIELD

6 to 8 servings