Thai
Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs
Sweet, sour, salty, spicy, crispy, sticky, tender succulent, and aromatic….
These Thai baby back ribs explode with all the elements that make Thai food so popular the world over.
Tamarind Pod
Tamarind? The tamarind tree originates from Africa, but now found across the tropics including South and Southeast Asia. India is now the largest producer of tamarind.  Tamarind is used in many Thai dishes and available fresh or in paste form. Here in Thailand tamarind is available in fresh clusters of pods or in blocks of the sticky contents of the pods that include the seeds. The flesh and seeds from the pods are boiled until vary soft. The seeds are then removed and sticky flesh is passed through a fine mesh strainer. The resulting tamarind paste has a unique tart, sweet, and slightly fruity flavor.
Tamarind Paste
The methods used for this recipe are adapted for the home kitchen. Some of the ingredients may be somewhat unfamiliar, but most can be found in Asian markets or in the Asian foods section of you local supermarket.
Keep in mind that cooking is always an adventure! Discovering new and unfamiliar ingredients and flavors are all part of the fun and open up new windows of possibilities. Tamarind is a subtle flavor enhancer you will find yourself using again and again when cooking Thai or other Asian dishes.Â
Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs   Serves 4 to 6
Ribs:
- 1 kilo/ 2.2 pounds baby back pork ribs
Separate the ribs and remove the silver skin membrane from the underside of each rib using a very sharp knife. Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towels, and transfer the ribs to a bowl.
Seasoning rub:
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon back peppercornsÂ
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
Place all the rub ingredients in a spice mill and pulse until finely ground.
Then sprinkle the seasoning rub over the ribs. Using your hands, rub the seasonings evenly over all the ribs. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside.
Basting sauce: makes 1 ½ cups
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
- 2 inch knob ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 medium size shallot, finely minced
- 1 bunch of coriander, leaves and roots chopped
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 4 tablespoons tamarind paste (available at Asian markets)
- 3 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons rum or brandy
- ½ teaspoon red Thai chile powder, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon cold pressed peanut oil
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
Using a mini processor or mortar and pestle, combine the grated garlic, grated ginger, minced shallot, and coriander leaves and roots and pulse or grind into a coarse paste.
Transfer the paste to a non reactive bowl. Add the soy sauce, sweet dark soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind paste, palm sugar (or light brown sugar), rum or brandy, Thai chile powder, and the peanut oil and mix until well combined.
Select a rectangular baking pan and fit the pan with a shallow baking rack. Lightly oil the bottom of the pan as well as the rack.
Preheat the oven to 325 f/170 c
Place the seasoned ribs on the rack, bone side down and flesh side upward in a single layer, tucking the kaffir lime leaves here and there between ribs. Pour about an inch of water into the baking pan, generously brush the ribs with the basting sauce, seal the pan tightly with foil, and transfer to the preheated oven.
Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs
Total cooking time will be about 1 ½ to 2 hours. At 20 minute intervals brush the ribs with more basting sauce. Add water to the bottom of the pan if needed, re-seal the pan, and return the pan to the oven front to back to insure even cooking.
After 1 hour check the meat for tenderness. The finished meat should be very soft, but just short of falling off the bone. So continue checking and roasting the meat until tender as described.
Once the meat is sufficiently tender you want to raise the heat to 400 F/ 200 c.
Remove the foil and brush the ribs generously with more basting sauce. Pour the remaining basting sauce into the bottom of the pan and add more water as needed. Move the oven rack to the upper position, return the ribs to the oven uncovered and cook until the tops of the ribs are deeply colored, sizzling, and crisp on the top surface.
Promptly remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs, transfer the ribs to a platter and cover lightly with foil. Remove the roasting rack and skim the fat off the surface of the pan juices and pour the pan juices through a fine mesh strainer into a saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium flame, bring to a boil, and if the juices are looking very thin boil until reduced to the consistency of a thin sauce.
Alternatively, mix a couple of teaspoons of corn starch mixed with an equal part of cold water, and stir it into the simmering pan juices while stirring until the sauce thickens to a thin sauce.
Dipping sauce:Â
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauceÂ
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced coriander leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red hot chile flakes
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Chill until ready to serve.
Serving:
Serve the ribs on individual plates or on a large platter. Drizzle some pan juices over the ribs and, if serving on individual plates, add a small pool of pan sauce to each plate, or place a bowl of pan juices on the table.
Serve with a bowl of the tamarind dipping sauce and Thai jasmine rice as pictured.
Fiery Thai Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken is an American take on, or is it a take out of, not dissimilar regional chicken dishes found throughout China. There certainly are like dishes in Cantonese and Szechuan cooking (see recipe for Szechuan Gong Bao Chicken here). Whatever the version, cashew chicken has found popularity the world over. Always considered a reliably safe bet for the unadventurous when faced with iffy Chinese food choices. Even here in Thailand cashew chicken is more often than not a numbed down version that is mild and palatable for farang (foreign) visitors. For Thais however it’s got to be a fiery cashew chicken spiked generously with chopped small green sky pointing chilies. Keep in mind the smaller the chilies the more intense their heat. Locally grown cashews are added to the dish to somewhat tame the heat of the chilies.Â
Of course the great popularity of Thai food rests on the extraordinary artistry of balancing opposing fiery, sweet, sour, savory, and salty flavors that literally tease the senses and ignite the taste buds in completely unexpected experiential ways. Not Unlike the Thai language, Thai cookery has its own unfamiliar and quirky flavor vocabulary, but once you have grasped the essentials the rest is an adventure in Thai cookery just waiting at your kitchen door.
Making the fiery Thai cashew chicken recipe that follows is relatively easy to prepare and uses many of the basic flavor combinations that reappear again and again in Thai cookery. Caution not required. Fire up those chilies for a lusty meal that will not disappoint.
Fiery Thai Cashew Chicken   serves 4
For the chicken:
ingredients Fiery Thai Cashew Chicken
- 1 kilo/2.2 pounds chicken thighs with skin on, deboned
- 3 tablespoons coconut or peanut oil
- 1 yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 large red shallots, quartered and thinly sliced
- a 2 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
- 4 large fresh Thai red chilies, halved, seeds removed, and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, central vein removed and very finely minced
- 1 cup lightly roasted cashew nuts
- fresh Thai basil leaves (garnish)
- fresh coriander leaves (garnish)
For the sauce:
- 2 ½ oz palm sugar (hard or soft) or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 6-8 fiery small fresh Thai sky pointing chilies, finely sliced on the diagonal
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon corn or tapioca starch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and cut each thigh into 3 equal pieces and set aside.
Rather than discarding the bones place them in a large sauce pan. Add 1 small peeled and diced yellow onion and 4 whole fresh kaffir lime leaves. Fill the pan with water and bring to a low boil. Cook for about 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients for the recipe. The liquid should be reduced by about a half. Pass the broth through a fine mesh strainer, discard the bones and lime leaves, and set the broth aside to use later.
Slice the onion and shallots and set them aside in a bowl. Likewise, julienne the ginger, mince the kaffir lime leaves, and slice the red chilies, setting each aside in separate bowls.
To prepare the sauce place the palm sugar in a small sauce pan with 2 tablespoons water. Place the pan over low heat and slowly melt the palm sugar until it is completely dissolved, caramel colored, and bubbling up. Take the pan off the heat and add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Swirl the pan to combine the ingredients and put the pan back onto the heat. Add the sliced fiery chillies and swirl the pan. Once bubbling set aside to use later. Reheat the sauce to a boil and stir in the lime juice just before adding it to the chicken.
Heat the coconut or peanut oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat. When nearly smoking add the chicken pieces skin side down and cook until the skin is nicely browned. Promptly turn the chicken and cook another couple of minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter lined with paper towels and set aside to drain off excess fat.
Drain off all but a couple tablespoons of fat from the skillet and return it to the heat. When the fat is hot add the onions and shallots and saute them until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Promptly add the ginger and the sliced red chillies and saute about 2 minute. Then add the minced kaffir lime leaves and stir to combine.
Promptly reheat the sauce and stir in the lime juice. Return the browned chicken to the skillet and toss with the other ingredients. Then pour the bubbling sauce over the chicken mixture in the skillet and toss the ingredients to evenly coat them with the sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce is quite thick and sticky. Then add just enough chicken broth to reach the top of the chicken. Stir to combine and cook at a boil for about 8Â to 10 minutes.
Stir in the cashew nuts. Mix the corn or tapioca starch with water and add to the bubbling chicken. Gently sir for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens and glosses the chicken and cashews.
Serving
Transfer the Chicken with Cashews to a large platter. Garnish with fresh Thai Basil leaves and bunches of fresh coriander leaves. Serve with Thai Jasmine white or brown Rice scented with kaffir lime leaves.
Mango Tart with Coconut Jasmine Rice Pastry Cream
Here is a twist on Thailand’s very favorite sweet treat!
Borrowing from the traditional Thai pairing of sliced fresh mango eaten with sticky rice drizzled with coconut cream, I have instead made a tart with a coconut jasmine rice pastry cream scented with kaffir lime leaves that is topped with freshly picked sliced mango. This tart makes a tantalizingly colorful presentation that is sure to make a stellar tropical finale for a summer meal and well worth the little extra effort. For more information about Thailand’s mango and sticky rice (click here)
Of course choosing your mangoes is paramount. Ideally they should be freshly picked, plump, blemish free, and firm with an ever so slight give when very gently pressed. Their aroma should be flowery without a hint acidity. There are of course many varieties to choose from ranging from deep green, yellow, pastel yellow, orange, and various shades of red. Best to buy them not more than a day before you intend to use them and refrigerate them to slow down the ripening process. Peel, slice, and arrange the mango over the pastry cream just before serving for maximum flavor and freshness.
The rest of the preparations can be made in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Mango Tart
Fresh Mango Tart with Coconut Jasmine Rice Pastry Cream
Sweet Pastry (pate sablee) Tart Shell 10 or 11 inches, fully baked
As making the tart shell requires several steps including chilling the dough at several stages, as well as baking it, it is best to get this out of the way in advance. A fully baked tart shell cooled to room temperature and sealed n a large freezer bag will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.
Everyone who bakes has there own favorite tart pastry dough recipe so the choice is yours. Like many cooks I am always trying different recipes in a search of that perfect pastry dough that is easy to handle, sturdy when baked, and has at sweet crumbly sand like texture that classic tart shells should embody.
Likewise you can cook the rice and make the pastry cream in advance as well. Both will be combined and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the tart.
For the Coconut Jasmine Rice
- ½ cup Thai jasmine rice
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 kaffr lime leaves
Preheat the oven to 325f/170c
After briefly boiling the rice finishing off the rice in the oven avoids the inevitable scorching of the rice in the bottom of the pan when cooked on the stove top.
Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed oven proof sauce pan set over medium heat on the stove top. Stir occasionally as the liquid heats up to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes while stirring so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Cover the pan with a lid and place it in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once about half way through the baking time. Remove from the oven, remove the kaffir lime leaves and discard, and set the rice aside to cool.
For the Coconut Pastry Cream
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large organic eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Have ready a mixing bowl with a fine mesh strainer set over the bowl.
Place the coconut milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium low heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and drop in the kaffir lime leaves. Stir now and again while the coconut milk is heating.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together the corn starch and sugar. Then add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
Once the coconut milk is just under a boil ladle about a third of the hot coconut milk slowly into the egg cornstarch mixture while whisking continuously until incorporated.
Then pour the egg mixture back into the hot coconut milk and whisk continuously. The mixture will thicken after about 2 minutes with a custard like consistency. Continue to heat while continuously whisking until the custard is just about to break into a simmer with just a few little bubbles appearing on the surface. You do not want the custard to boil as the eggs in the mixture will begin to curdle! Promptly remove the pan from the stove and pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl. This will stop the cooking and remove any curdling that may have occurred. Discard the kaffir lime leaaves.
Let cool a few minutes and then stir in the butter, a tablespoon full at a time, while whisking until the pastry cream is very smooth.
Place the bowl of pastry cream on a cooling rack and press cling film directly onto the surface to avoid a skin forming on the surface as it cools.. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate if not using immediately.
When both the coconut rice and the pastry cream have cooled to room temperature add the rice to the pasty cream and fold it in until evenly distributed. Then cover with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour or more before assembling the tart.
Mangoes
- Â 2-4 mangoes depending on size
Peel the mangoes with a vegetable peeler and slice the mango into thin pieces lengthwise with the knife slicing parallel to the center stone/seed. Cover and refrigerate.
Mango Tart with Coconut Jasmine Rice Pastry Cream
Assembling the Tart
Remove the fully baked tart shell from the refrigerator. Spoon the coconut rice pastry cream into the tart shell to about three quarters full and smooth the surface evenly. Cover the tart with cling film and refrigerate until well chilled.
Arranging the freshly sliced mango over of the pastry cream should be done as close to serving time as possible for maximum freshness!
Arrange the sliced mango over the surface of the pastry cream to your liking, trimming the mango slices as needed. Serve promptly, or cover the tart and refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.
Tapenade
Tapenade is always associated with Provence where olives are the star at local farmers markets, but the Romans were making a similar olive puree with herbs thousands of years ago. The name is rooted in the French word tapeo which means capers, a key ingredient along with olives, anchovies, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Tapenade on crostini is my go to favorite hors d’eouvre to serve with drinks, although it need not end there. Delicious served with fish, poultry, meats, tossed with pasta, or spread on a buttered baguette when making a sandwich.
I have included a simple classic Mediterranean Tapenade recipe that follows the traditional wisdom of simplicity of ingredients. I have also included a mash up recipe if you will for a Thai tapenade that evolved more out of necessity than any fusion intended. There is a substitution of Thai basil in lieu of Italian sweet basil which is hard to find and expensive. Thai fish sauce replaces the anchovies which are imported and also expensive, lime juice in lieu of lemon juice, and Thai red chile flakes in lieu of black pepper. This makes for a very savory taste adventure with a difference!
Classic Mediterranean Tapenade: makes about 1 ¼ cups
- 1 cup pitted oil cured black olives
- 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
- a handful of fresh sweet basil or lemon thyme leaves; or a combination of both
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- a twist or two of freshly ground of black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping teaspoons capers, rinsed
- sea salt to taste
Tapenade would traditionally be made in a mortar, but a food processor works beautifully.
Place the pitted olives, anchovy fillets, herbs, lemon juice and pepper in the work bowl of the processor, lock on the lid, and pulse until the ingredients are broken down into a coarse puree, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as needed.
Then with the processor running add the olive oil in a slow steady stream through the feed tube until it is emulsified into the puree. Stop the machine and add the capers and pulse until the capers are broken down and mixed into the puree. Stop the machine, taste the tapenade, and add salt if needed.
Transfer the tapenade to a bowl, seal with cling film and refrigerate for several hours before serving which will meld the flavors together. Stir briefly just before serving.
Thai Tapenade: makes 1 ¼ cups
- 1 cup pitted oil cured olives
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
- a handful of fresh Thai sweet basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Thai red chile flakes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Place the pitted olives, fish sauce, Thai basil, lime juice, and red chile flakes in the work bowl of the processor, lock the lid, and pulse until the ingredients are broken down into a coarse puree, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as needed.
Then with the processor running add the olive oil in a slow stead stream through the feed tube until it is emulsified into the puree. Stop the machine, taste the tapenade, and add salt if needed.
Transfer the tapenade to a bowl, seal with cling film and refrigerate for several hours before serving which will meld the flavors together. Stir briefly just before serving.
