Thai Street Food 2/21/2020

Thai Hot and Sour Soup

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves or
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner white part only, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• Two 14-ounce cans coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon plus
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced crosswise into 2-by-1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Thai red chile paste
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 red or green Thai chiles, very thinly sliced on the bias
• 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the fish sauce.In a large pot, combine the stock with the sugar, chile paste, tamarind, ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.
2. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the chicken and fish sauce along with the mushrooms and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and discard the lime leaves.
5. Stir in the lime juice and chiles.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve with rice.

Pad Thai

Servings: 2 servings

• 4 oz Thai rice noodles cooked
• 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into small strips
• 8 shrimp P&D
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips and strips halved
• ¾ cup matchstick carrots
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 green onions, whites minced, greens sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• Red pepper flakes and sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Prepare rice noodles according to directions listed on package. In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce, set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok and over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan.
4. Add shrimp and cook until just done. Remove from pan.
5. Add additional opil to pan and add bell pepper and carrots and cook 1 – 2 minutes then add garlic, green onions and bean sprouts saute 1 minute longer.
6. Push veggies to edges of pan and crack eggs into center. Cook and scramble until eggs have cooked through. Add in chicken, shrimp, noodles and sauce and toss everything together and cook 1 – 2 minutes.
7. Serve warm topped with cilantro, peanuts and optional red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes

8. If you like it extra saucy you can double the sauce mixture.
9. For a creamy, peanuty sauce you can add 2 Tbsp peanut butter to mixture.
10. If you can’t find bean sprouts they can be omitted or you can replace with napa cabbage.

Banh Mi With Pickled Carrots and Daikon

YIELD 6 servings

This is a sandwich that, with quick work, maintains the porky-pickled-fiery essence of a classic banh mi with easy-to-find ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PICKLED VEGETABLES

• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ¾ cup thinly sliced Persian, Kirby or European cucumbers
• ½ cup shredded daikon radish
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE PORK

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sriracha or other chili sauce, to taste
• 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lime

FOR THE SANDWICH

1. 6 small Banh Mi rolls
2. Fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced and seeded, for serving
3. Mint sprigs, for serving
4. Cilantro sprigs, for serving

PREPARATION

For The Vegetables:

1. In a bowl, toss together the carrots, cucumbers, daikon, vinegar, sugar and salt and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

For the Pork:

2. in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon scallions and 1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce, to taste. Cover tightly and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons scallions and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a fork, until no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon chili sauce and the fish sauce, pepper, salt and sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, lime zest and lime juice. Let cool 5 minutes, then add mayonnaise mixture.
4. Fill bread with pork mixture. Press the jalapeño, mint and cilantro sprigs into the pork. Spoon some pickled vegetables onto the sandwiches and serve any extra alongside.

Crusty Banh Mi Rolls

servings: 8 each 6 inch rolls

Ingredients

• 75 ounces warm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 16 ounces bread flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 10 ounces cool water (you may not need all of the water)
• additional flour, for dusting

Instructions

1. Measure the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside.
2. Measure the bread flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and stir in the dissolved yeast.
4. Add the cool water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a shaggy dough has formed (you may not need to use all of the water).
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and gently press it into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Turn 90 degrees and repeat.
7. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, and shape each one into a loaf (about 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter) with pointed ends.
9. Place the loaves on a floured pan, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a pan of water on the bottom rack.
11. Uncover the baguettes and transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.
12. Sprinkle with flour, and make 4 elongated slashes down each one with a lame, razor, or sharp knife.
13. Bake the breads for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crusty and brown. (The rolls should give a hollow sound when tapped.)