Part 4 (1/2)

For the filling: 1 teaspoon vegetable oil pound ground pork or chicken 2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon minced cilantro For the omelets: 8 eggs 6 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon soy or fish sauce 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Bibb lettuce Soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or hot sauce Garnish of your choice 1. To make the filling: In a medium-sized skillet, warm the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the ground meat and saute until it is no longer pink. Add the green onions and cabbage and cook until soft. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and cilantro; cook for 1 more minute. Set the filling aside, keeping it warm.

2. To make the omelets: Combine the eggs, water, and soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Place an omelet pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add approximately teaspoon of vegetable oil, swirling it to coat the pan evenly. Pour approximately of the egg mixture into the pan, then let it rest for approximately 30 seconds. When the bottom is firm, flip the omelet and cook until done. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat to make 3 more omelets.

3. To fill the ”Egg Rolls,” place 1 omelet in the center of a plate. Place of the filling slightly off-center and then roll up. Trim the ends and cut the rolls into bite-sized pieces.

4. To serve, use Bibb lettuce leaves to pick up the rolls. Dip in additional soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, or other favorite dipping sauce, and add the garnish of your choice.

Yields 1620 pieces Using omelets in place of the usual egg roll wrapper is a fun twist on a cla.s.sic favorite. These rolls use traditional filling ingredients and dipping sauces.

Basil and Shrimp Wedges 1 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided pound cooked salad shrimp 1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced cup julienned basil 1 teaspoon fish sauce 4 eggs 2 tablespoons water Salt and pepper to taste 1. Place 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and green onion, and saute until the shrimp are warmed through, approximately 2 minutes. Add the basil and fish sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and salt and pepper, then stir in the shrimp mixture.

3. Place the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil in an omelet pan over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook until the omelet begins to brown. Flip over the omelet and continue to cook until set.

4. To serve, slide the omelet onto a serving plate and cut it into wedges. Serve it with your favorite Thai dipping sauce.

Serves 46 as an appetizer or 2 as a brunch item When is basil not just plain old basil? When it's Horapa, Ga-prow, or Manglug. Don't be afraid to experiment with different basils. They all taste great!

Crispy Mussel Pancakes 1 cup sh.e.l.led mussels (about 1 pound before sh.e.l.ling) cup tapioca flour cup all-purpose flour teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder cup water 2 cups bean sprouts 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish Salt and ground pepper to taste 1. To prepare the mussels, rinse them quickly under cold running water. Debeard the mussels by pulling out the brown membrane that is sometimes still attached. Discard any mussels that are already open. Fill a large skillet with to 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the mussels, cover, and let steam about 4 minutes or until the mussels have opened, shaking the pan every so often. Drain the mussels through a colander. Let cool to room temperature and then use a small fork to pull the meat from the sh.e.l.l; set aside on paper towels.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flours, the salt, and the baking powder. Whisk in the water to form a thin batter.

3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Pour half of the batter into the skillet and top with half of the mussels. Cook until the batter has set and turned golden, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancake over and continue cooking until golden. Remove the pancake to a baking sheet lined with some foil and place it in the oven to keep warm. Repeat to make a second pancake with the remaining batter and mussels.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the skillet if it is dry, and increase the heat to high. Add the bean sprouts, sprinkle with salt and ground pepper to taste, and stir-fry quickly just to heat through, about 30 seconds.

5. To serve, place each pancake in the center of a plate. Top with the bean sprouts, some cilantro, and a grind of fresh pepper. Serve with a sweet-and-sour sauce of your choice.

Serves 24 I know these sound weird, but you have to trust me on this. They're great! The slightly herbed pancakes make a perfect foil for the subtle taste of the mussels.

Chicken, Shrimp, and Beef Satay Chicken 1 recipe Thai Marinade (see recipes in Chapter 1) 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s, cut into long strips about -inch wide 1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce (see recipes in Chapter 2) 1. Thread the chicken strips onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers. Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them until they are cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Shrimp 1 recipe Thai Marinade 24 large shrimp, sh.e.l.led and deveined 1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce 1. Thread the shrimp onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers (about 3 shrimp per skewer). Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the shrimp for at least 15 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.

2. Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them often until just opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Makes 46 chicken skewers or 68 shrimp or beef skewers Satays are served hot but are almost as delicious at room temperature, and they go great with a cold beer. Don't forget to have a lot of peanut sauce!

Beef 1 recipe Thai Marinade 1-1 pounds sirloin steak, fat and sinew removed, cut into -inch-wide strips 1 recipe Peanut Dipping Sauce 1. Thread the beef strips onto presoaked bamboo skewers or onto metal skewers. Place the skewers in a flat pan and cover with marinade. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Cook the skewers on the grill or under the broiler, basting and turning them often until done to your liking, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium.

3. Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

[image]The Origin of Satay Satay was first introduced to Thailand by Arab traders from the Middle East.

Shrimp Toast 8 slices of white bread, left to sit out overnight, crusts removed pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and coa.r.s.ely chopped pound ground pork 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 cloves garlic, minced [image]teaspoon cayenne teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided 32 slices cuc.u.mber 1. In a small bowl, combine the shrimp and pork; set aside.

2. In another small bowl, combine the cilantro, garlic, cayenne, and salt. Pour the spice mixture over the shrimp and pork, and combine.

3. Stir in the beaten egg and soy sauce; mix well. Divide the mixture into 8 parts.

4. Smoothly spread a thin layer of the mixture on each slice of bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5. Heat teaspoon vegetable oil in nonstick skillet. When it is very hot, place 1 piece of bread, meat side down, in the oil. Cook until golden in color, then remove to a paper towel, blotting any excess oil. Repeat for all of the bread sides.

6. Cut each slice of bread into quarters and top each quarter with a cuc.u.mber slice.

Yields 32 pieces The pork in this recipe not only adds a bit of extra flavor, but also helps to bind the ingredients together. You could also use ground chicken or turkey if you don't want the pork.

Pork Toast Triangles pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon dried shrimp 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 pound ground pork (the leaner the better) 1 egg 1 tablespoon fish sauce 6 slices day-old bread, crusts trimmed off Vegetable oil for frying 1. Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp are opaque. Drain the shrimp and let cool to room temperature. Coa.r.s.ely chop and set aside.

2. Place the dried shrimp, cilantro, and the garlic in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Add the reserved shrimp and ground pork; process again. Add the egg and fish sauce and process once more.

3. Spread the mixture evenly over each slice of bread. Cut the bread into 4 equal slices, either from corner to corner forming triangles or from top to bottom forming squares.

4. Add approximately inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet. Bring the oil to approximately 375 degrees over medium-high heat. Place 4 to 5 toasts in the oil, filling side down. Make sure that the toasts are not crowded in the oil or they will not brown evenly. After the filling side is nicely browned, use a slotted spoon or metal strainer to flip the toasts. Watch the toasts carefully, as the bottoms will brown quickly. Remove the toasts to a stack of paper towels to drain. Carefully pat the tops of the toasts with paper towels to remove any oil.

5. Serve the toasts with sweet-and-sour or plum sauce.

Yields 24 pieces Similar in concept to the Shrimp Toast, this recipe features pork and uses the shrimp as the primary accent flavor, resulting in a milder overall taste.

Mee Krob [image]cup honey [image]cup rice or white vinegar 5 tablespoons sugar 23 drops red food coloring 1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18) Vegetable oil for deep-frying 2 eggs, beaten pound thin rice stick noodles, broken into handfuls cup dried shrimp 1 cup bean sprouts 10 small lime wedges 1. Combine the honey, vinegar, sugar, food coloring, and tamarind in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken; remove from heat and set aside.

2. Bring about 3 inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees in a deep fryer or skillet. Drop a single layer of the rice stick noodles into the hot oil, making sure to leave enough room for them to cook evenly. Turn the noodles with a slotted spoon as soon as they begin to puff up. As soon as the noodles are golden, remove them to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all of the noodles are cooked.

3. Add the dried shrimp to the oil and cook for 45 seconds or so. Remove to paper towels.