Thai Hot Pot

Fondue may seemed to have died a 70s death, but I'm all for spreading the word about this version. You'll hear me rave about Thai food over and over, but this one really is for the masses. Such an easy concept, but so nice for a few people to share the experience of cooking/burning/pushing themselves to their spicy limits along with a nice Singha beer.

At this particular restaurant (you'll find them dotted around Thailand), you paid 109 Baht (the equivalent being just over 2 quid) for the tastiest 'All You Can Eat' buffet. Food included salad (which you could make yourself), vegetables, fish, meat - all marinaded in different sauces - for example beef and sesame, prawns and garlic, sweet and sour chicken, beef and oyster sauce. There was of course dessert for those who could fit it in...

Creating a fresh papaya salad

The idea is you stack your plate up with different food, marinades, sauces etc, then take them back to your table to do all the cooking yourselves. As you can imagine, fresh fish on an island in Thailand is not to be scoffed at!

It really is the ultimate pick and mix....

As you can see, fat is put on the central point to create oil for the meat to cook in. The vegetables and other ingredients (i.e. prawns, chilli, herbs etc) are then added into the boiling water which is poured around the side, creating a delicious soup.

Put another shrimp on the.... ok enough with the cliche's, you get the idea.

So there you have it. I myself am keen to get hold of one of these cooking devices if I can back home, if not maybe from Bangkok. Such a great idea for a social dinner party, let's all get stuck in...

Thai BBQ III: Rack of Ribs

A favourite for many I know, and these will definitely please those who consider themselves rib enthusiasts! I've never cooked ribs myself but these came out absolutement perfectos! (Yeah, I've got lingo too y'know).

So, to the point...

Serves 5-6 as an appetiser

Rack of ribs (see photo reference below)
Small bowlful of garlic cloves (around 2-3 whole garlic bulbs)
Garlic pepper
Coriander root

To cook:

BBQ sauce (either home-made or shop bought).

Firstly, you need to get those peelers going and peel all the garlic cloves. If you don't like the smell of garlic on your fingers, perhaps find a willing assistant. Secondly, roughly chop up a good handful of coriander root - not too much - just enough to bring out the flavour and so you can say 'Abra Cadabra' when throwing them into the broth (No? Just me? ok...)



Next, pull out your trusty wok, and fill with cold water - enough to comfortably cover the ribs when they are in said pan. Now add your peeled garlic cloves (whole), along with the coriander root and a good few sprinkles of some garlic pepper (alternatively, you can just use black wholegrain pepper).



Now simply turn on the heat and bring to a simmering boil. The ribs need to become very tenderised before going onto the BBQ, so leave them to simmer for up to 30 minutes - enough so that nearly all the water has been soaked up or evaporated.



Remove the ribs and place on a draining rack or similar to remove any excess water.

Next it's time to slather on some BBQ sauce. Unfortunately, because we were eating at our friends house who had only moved in 2 days previously, ingredients were limited so I have to admit, we got out the shop bought BBQ sauce. I know I know, I can hear the tuts from here, but rather than admit complete defeat, I've looked around on the internet and found you a really nice alternative if you want to make your own:

Rib Eye Express BBQ Tag Team Sauce

So all that's left to do, is marinade the ribs in the sauce. Do all the preparation for the ribs prior to lighting the BBQ, as you can then let them marinade nicely in the sauce before loading them onto the barbie. When ready, cut the ribs into smaller portions (either individually for appetiser size, or larger for a main meal) and add to the BBQ for around 10 - 15 minutes.

Et voila!

NB Please remember pork needs to be thoroughly cooked through, and BBQ food is notorious for food poisoning - just remember if it looks done on the outside, it probably is - but always check the meat in the middle just in case....

Thai BBQ II: Thai Style Tuna + Chinese Alternative

This barbecued tuna is an easy alternative to just chucking it on the barbie, and once you've got all the ingredients together takes no time at all. For a Chinese alternative scroll to the bottom...

Serves 4:

4 tuna steaks (preferably fresh tuna)
Fresh lemon grass
Ginger (Thai use an ingredient called 'gananga' but if unavailable ginger is a good alternative)
Basil leaves
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
1 small chilli
Garlic pepper
Soy sauce

To cook:

Butter
Silver foil

Our resident Thai chef says that you can just throw in any herbs, but these are a good starting point.

Firstly chop the lemon grass into 2 inch lengths (quite thin) to create a small handful and put into a mixing bowl, along with the chopped small chilli. Grate around 1-2 tablespoons of ginger and add, along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, a pinch of garlic pepper and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Chop a handful of basil to release the flavour and add all the ingredients into the bowl and mix well.



Once mixed, place aside and cut a cross into both sides of each tuna steak, about one inch deep. Salt both sides of the tuna by rubbing it in with your fingers:



This will help to draw in the marinade flavours. Next, butter 4 square cuts of foil, big enough to wrap the tuna in so it is tightly wrapped and air tight. Place a healthy spoonful of the herb mixture on top of each steak, and wrap up tight:






Leave the herb and mixture to marinade for about 20 minutes, before placing on the pre-heated BBQ. The steaks should take around 15 minutes to cook, but keep checking as like beef, tuna doesn't have to be cooked all the way through before serving, so depending on individual tastes you might want to use less or more time.


Chinese Alternative

4 tuna steaks
Shitake mushrooms/ Rat Ear mushrooms
Beansprouts
Ginger (about 2 tspns)
Garlic
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Pepper

To cook:

4 square cuts of silver foil
Butter

As with the Thai style tuna, you need to mix all the ingredients in a bowl before marinading. Firstly chop the ginger into strips (see picture below), followed by a chopped handful of mushrooms (chopped quite large) and add to the bowl. In Thailand they use mushrooms called 'Rat Ear' - as you can see from the shape that is exactly what they look like:



For an alternative, you can use shitake mushrooms which are available in most supermarkets. Next, peel a small handful of garlic (4-5 cloves) and rather than chopping it into small pieces, use the flat blade of a large kitchen knife to crush the garlic (do this on a hard chopping board or kitchen surface). Finally, add a good glug of oyster sauce and a pinch of pepper to the bowl and mix well.

Next, cut a one inch deep cross into each side of the fish steak (as above), salt both sides of the tuna by rubbing it in with your fingers, and place the fish onto the buttered foil. You do not need to butter the whole piece, just enough for the tuna to sit on. Add a good heaped tablespoon or two of the mixture onto the top of the fish and wrap up so the foil is air tight.


Place the fish on the pre-heated BBQ for 15 minutes or so, or until cooked as desired.

Thai BBQ I: Shopping Trip

Luckily for me, we arrived in Phuket on the 5 December, and spent a few days staying with a friend from college, whose girlfriend happens to be a trained Thai chef. Unfortunately for her, this meant being bombarded with questions and a camera for the majority of our meals (thanks Thippsy!)....

One of the best meals we had was a BBQ prepared by Thipps and some willing UK kitchen hands who were only to happy to share in the results! First off we hit the markets for the food, which wherever you go in Asia are always so colourful and exciting, but also so unbelievably cheap. While restaurant food in SE Asia is obviously cheaper than being in the UK, the food from the market is mere pennies in your pocket. We all chipped and came up with this lot....

Everything seems to come in super size in Thailand. This is basically the Thai version of runner beans.

Some chillies to get those taste buds going!

Anchovies

King prawns - incredible size!

We ended up buying 5 fish for 180 baht - that's about 3 quid.

Mammoth squids!

More chilli to get those taste buds going...

Check out Thai BBQ II for some recipe tips...

Squidilicious

Welcome to my first post! I'm currently sitting in Hanoi, Vietnam writing up about food in Thailand - apologies for the delay but internet is a lot cheaper here (albeit a lot slower as well)…

Thailand, as I'm sure you're all aware, is an incredible place for food, but you have to be willing to step off the Koh San Road to find some really cheap and tasty treats. Luckily for us, our first great foodie experience was only one road away from Bangkok’s most famous strip, but unfortunately for those who hope to visit, I couldn’t even begin to tell you its name. As you can see from my first bit of food photography (I promise to only include people whose eyes are open from now on), the very modest street restaurant was simply, but aptly, named, ‘VERY NICE THAI FOOD.’

A few plastic chairs and tables are all that’s needed to enjoy some of the best seafood I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, and tasting all the greater for the price tag. Comparatively Thailand is a hell of a lot cheaper than the UK, but tourist prices are still in abundance. VERY NICE THAI FOOD, however, is not overpriced - only excellent value for money. We didn’t even have to wait particularly long for food for a table of five, even after finding out there was only one lady cooking the food for at least 20 tables.

I shared the wok-fried red snapper fried in garlic with accompanying vegetables, along with chicken fried rice and fried squid with garlic and green beans. Although presentation may not quite be to classic restaurant standards, it was the taste that really won me over. The crispy skin of the snapper (all edible) led way to incredibly tender white meat, and was no way overpowered by the visible amounts of garlic. The combination of the crunchy outer layer and moist fish was incredible, and I’m still licking my lips at the thought of round two on my return to the capital (and please just trust me when I say the photo does it no justice)! And if that isn't enough to convince you check out the King prawns that my friend ordered:

The chicken fried rice – a classic Thai dish – was a great accompaniment, and not too oily; and wherever I have visited in Thailand, the squid is always cooked well, not overcooked and rubbery (which I personally have found out does not take long if you aren’t careful!). Green beans were a great add-on to the dish, and if cooking at home I would recommend the contrast of the crunchy veg to the squid. Ideally cut the squid into rings and stir-fry with dried garlic and fresh green beans and a splash of light soy sauce for no more than 3-5 minutes.

Check out my Salt and Pepper Squid if this has got you in the mood...