THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (13 page)

Lemongrass is a very popular ingredient in Thai and other Asian recipes. It can usually be found fresh in most well-stocked supermarkets and can be stored in the fridge for about 3 weeks or frozen for up to 6 months. Many recipes call for lemongrass to be “bruised.” This helps add more flavor to your recipe. If you like the strong flavor, feel free to bruise lemongrass even when not called for in a recipe.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, bruised, and cut into 2 to 3 pieces

2 teaspoons prepared Red Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1) or curry powder

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, cut into 6 pieces

3 lime leaves (fresh or dried)

4 cups chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups wild or domestic mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces (if necessary)

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the oil, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the lemongrass, curry paste, ginger, and lime leaves.
   
2. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
   
3. Add the coconut milk, the chicken pieces, and the mushrooms. Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is done.
   
4. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
5. Remove the lemongrass, lime leaves, and ginger pieces before serving.
   

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups chicken broth

5 cups water, divided

2 star anise

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

3 ounces snow peas, trimmed

1 medium-sized sweet red pepper, seeded and julienned

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long strips

4 ounces, cellophane noodles, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Lemon or lime wedges

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on high. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, and cilantro, and sauté for 1 more minute. Stir in the broth and 2 cups of the water. Add the star anise. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover; simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
2. In another saucepan, bring the remaining water to a boil. Add the vegetables and blanch for 1 minute or until tender-crisp. Drain and run very cold water over the vegetables to stop the cooking process; set aside.
   
3. Strain the broth into a clean soup pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken strips and reduce heat. Poach the chicken over low heat until opaque, approximately 10 minutes. Add the cellophane noodles and reserved vegetables, and continue to simmer for 2 more minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce.
   
4. To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls. Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with lime wedge.
   

½ cup lemon slices, including peel

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1½ teaspoons fresh hot chili pepper, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1½ teaspoons sugar

1½ cups coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

3 teaspoons lemongrass, peeled and chopped

1 cup straw mushrooms

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, poached and shredded

1. Combine the lemon slices, fish sauce, chili pepper, green onion, and sugar in a small glass bowl; set aside.
   
2. Combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, lemongrass, mushrooms, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Add the chicken and lemon mixture; heat through.
   
3. To serve, ladle into warmed bowls.
   

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved

2 quarts fish or chicken stock

1 quart water

3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and chopped

Zest of 1 lime, grated

6–8 kaffir lime leaves

10 (
-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger

2 fresh serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

24 fresh mussels, cleaned

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Red pepper flakes to taste

¼ cup sliced green onions

Salt

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp shells and sauté until they turn bright pink. Add the stock, water, lemongrass, lime zest, lime leaves, ginger, and serrano chilies. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a clean soup pot.
   
2. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the shells open, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mussels, discarding any that have not opened. Remove the top shell of each mussel and discard. Set aside the mussels on the half shell.
   
3. Add the shrimp to the boiling broth and cook until they are opaque, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
   
4. Add the mussels to the pot. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
   
5. Serve immediately.
   

For the broth:

2 tablespoons butter

1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into small chunks

1 medium-sized leek, sliced

1½ stalks celery, sliced

1 small banana, sliced

1 red chili pepper, cut in half and seeded

3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic, halved

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

3¼ cups vegetable broth

cup half-and-half

cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon Green Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken and vegetables:

2 tablespoons butter

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

2 kaffir lime leaves, cut into strips

2 teaspoons prepared Green Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small Japanese eggplant, cut into 4 pieces

2 red chili peppers, cut in half and seeded (optional)

¾ cup cooked rice

Thai basil

To prepare the broth:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pumpkin, leeks, celery, bananas, chili pepper, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger; sweat for 5 minutes.
   
2. Add the vegetable broth and heat until warm.
   
3. Add the half-and-half, coconut milk, and curry paste; simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
   
4. Remove the chili pepper halves. Transfer the broth mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Strain if desired, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a clean pot and keep warm.To prepare the chicken and vegetables:
   
5. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken strips, ginger, lime leaves, and curry paste. Sauté until the chicken is cooked, but not browned. Add the chicken mixture to the broth.
   
6. In another sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the eggplant and sauté until just warmed through.
   
7. To serve, divide the rice among 4 soup bowls. Spoon the broth over the rice. Top with a piece of eggplant, a chili pepper half (if desired), and some basil.