THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (9 page)

For the filling:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

½ pound ground pork or chicken

2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage

½ 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 sauté 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 ¼ teaspoon of vegetable oil, swirling it to coat the pan evenly. Pour approximately ¼ 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 ¼ 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.
   

1½ teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

½ pound cooked salad shrimp

1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

½ 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 sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and green onion, and sauté 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 ½ 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.
   

1 cup shelled mussels (about 1 pound before shelling)

½ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ 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 ½ 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 shell; 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.
   

Chicken

1 recipe Thai Marinade (see recipes in Chapter 1)

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long strips about ½-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, shelled 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.
   

Beef

1 recipe Thai Marinade

1-1½ pounds sirloin steak, fat and sinew removed, cut into ½-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.
   

The Origin of Satay

Satay was first introduced to Thailand by Arab traders from the Middle East.

8 slices of white bread, left to sit out overnight, crusts removed

½ pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and coarsely chopped

¼ pound ground pork

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

32 slices cucumber

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 ¼ 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 cucumber slice.
   

¼ 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. Coarsely 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 ½ 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.