Celebrating the Art of Siamese Culinary Wisdom and Thai Cuisine
Thai Chili Relish with Pork, Shrimp and Fresh Peppercorns (น้ำพริก พริกไทยสด ; naam phrik phrik thai soht)
Studded with small green peppercorns that burst with a mild peppery pungency, this relish is not as spicy as one might expect from a Thai chili relish - nor does the sour taste serve as a noticeable flavor pillar. Instead, a warmer and softer peppery bite, coupled with the aroma of young pepper, delivers a complex kick. The peppercorns, together with the flavorful yellow chilies, wrap the pork’s natural umami and fatty characters and enhance its natural sweetness; this sweetness, despite being placed far in the back and only appearing at the end of each bite, is nicely layered by the use of shrimp meat and palm sugar.
Gaaeng Jao Dtao – An Aristocratic Sour Curry of Catfish with Young Tamarind Leaves, Fingerroot and Lemon Basil, with a Rustic Flare (แกงเจ้าเต่า)
Salad of Thai milkweed flower buds (yam daawk khajaawn ; ยำดอกขจร)
The first Thai restaurant in London was opened during the 1960's by HRH Princess Jurairat Nasiriman (1910-2000) (พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าจุไรรัตนศิริมาน), the granddaughter of HRH King Mongkut (Rama IV). Princess Jurairat chose to offer this salad on the menu and named it "Salad of Thai Milkweed Flower". (Other names: Cowslip creeper, Telosma Cordata).
This fresh and tasty salad is so vibrant and easy for us to enjoy, it takes in the very basic flavors, sweet, salty, hot and sour and wrap them in a creamy coat of reduced coconut cream. The milkweed flower buds retain their crunchiness and their pleasant fragrance with only a gentle and very quick blanching in sweet boiling water.
Curry of yellow chilies with whole quail, fresh turmeric and lemon basil (แกงเผ็ดนกกระทาพริกเหลืองสด; gaaeng phet nohk grathaa phrik leuuang soht)
Salty leading and sour-sweet to follow, this coconut-based gaaeng phet spicy curry might be made of chilies, but it is fruitier than it is spicy, and lighter than it is dense. Originally cooked with the meat of game birds, it retains a surprisingly light body that opens space for the birds to fly. The curry is tinted golden orange from a paste imbued with fresh yellow chilies and turmeric; it is perfumed with lemongrass and lemon basil leaves.
Thai Green Curry with Roasted Duck and Young Chilies (แกงเขียวหวานเป็ดย่าง ; gaaeng khiaao waan bpet yang)
Green curry, with its mellow, creamy green color and rich coconut base, has both fresh and mature flavors. Like new growth on plants, it brings brightness, youthfulness, spring and rebirth to the meltdown of flavors created in the curry paste.
The green curry paste uses mainly the same standard ingredients as Thai spicy-red curry paste: lemongrass, coriander roots, kaffir lime zest, galangal, garlic, shallots, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, salt and kapi.
c1908 Chuu Chee with Mackerel (ฉู่ฉี่ปลาทู ; chuu chee bplaa thuu)
A salty-sweet, water-based chuu chee dish that features a thick, almost dry sauce. The deep burnt-red and shiny chuu chee sauce clings to the skin of the crispy mackerel, gold-colored from frying the fish in pork lard. The aromatic profile of the chuu chee complements the mackerel's rich, full-bodied flavor. Although chuu chee is usually made using freshwater fish, saltwater fish, especially mackerel, is featured in chuu chee dishes prepared along the coasts of the Central Plains. This is especially common during the rainy season, when the mackerel is plentiful and of excellent quality.
Fermented Soybean Paste Dipping Relish (เต้าเจี้ยวพล่า; dtao jiaao phlaa)
Dtao jiaao phlaa, fermented soybean paste relish bruised with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Seasoned Chicken Tongue Relish (ลิ้นระกาปรุง; lin ra gaa bproong)
Lin ra gaa bproong, pounded chicken tongue relish with ruaan shrimp and ginger, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.
Fried Rice with Salted Chinese Black Olive, or Nam Phuay (ข้าวผัดลูกหนำเนี๊ยบหรือหนำพ๊วย; khaao phat luuk nam niiap reuu nam phuay)
Khao phat luk nam nieb: salted Chinese black olive, shelled and mashed fine, tossed through rice. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.
Yogurt-Based Ancient Green Curry with Chicken Offal (แกงเขียว; gaaeng khiaao)
Mrs. Yim Pichaiyat Bunnag (คุณยิ้ม พิชัยญาติ บุนนาค)'s 1920s aristocratic green curry reveals a forgotten chapter in Thai culinary history. This Muslim-style recipe uses ghee and yogurt instead of coconut milk, featuring chicken offal—liver, gizzard, and heart—each contributing distinct textures and concentrated flavors. Roasted spices like cinnamon, clove, and cardamom create warming aromatics, while fresh chilies provide signature heat. The dish documents how Bangkok's noble kitchens adapted Islamic cooking techniques before democratization, preserving methods that would shape modern Thai cuisine.
Naam Yaa Neuua – Northern Style Naam Ya according to Lady Plean Passakornrawong (น้ำยาเหนือ)
This fermented rice noodle dish is served with a slow-cooked, chili-less broth made from pounded fish meat and aromatics cooked in coconut cream. Creamy in color and velvety in texture, the broth is seasoned either with fish sauce, fermented fish or salted fish according to one’s preferences. The broth is allowed to slow-cook, achieving its full richness over a couple of hours. Once ready, the broth is poured over the noodles, which are then topped with a glossy-orangey layer of minced shrimp meat fried with their tomalley in pork lard. Complementing this richness are crunchy yellowish bean sprouts blanched in turmeric-tinted water, a sprinkle of sweet, golden crispy-fried shallots and, finally, green lemon basil leaves that endow the dish with a unique, rustic herbal persona.
Clear Soup of Bitter Gourd Stuffed with Pork and Glass Noodles ต้มจืดมะระยัดไส้หมูสับ ; dtohm jeuut mara yat sai muu sap
Bitter gourds have long been prized in Asia for a trait considered a defect in cucumbers: bitterness. We tend to believe that anything bitter is medicinal and, in this case, we could be correct. The bitter gourd is said to cure a wide range of ailments - from gastrointestinal conditions to cancers, and from diabetes to HIV.
Also known as bitter melons, bitter gourds are pale green, with an irregular, warty surface. Typically, they are eaten following an initial treatment to remove some of the bitterness; often they are stuffed, to complement their somewhat eccentric bite.
Fermented Rice Noodles, Shrimp and Pork Appetizer Dressed with Fried Chili Jam and Peanuts
(ขนมจีนญี่ปุ่น; Khanohm jeen Yee Poon) Khanohm jeen yee poon is an appetizer consisting of a small roll of fermented rice noodles laid on a green lettuce leaf and topped with a slice of cucumber and cooked shrimp and pork belly, dressed with sour-sweet and salty fried chili jam, sprinkled with roasted peanuts and decorated with coriander leaf and a thin julienne of fresh red chili pepper. A squeeze of fresh lime juice is applied just before eating the dish.
(ขนมจีนญี่ปุ่น; Khanohm jeen Yee Poon) Khanohm jeen yee poon is an appetizer consisting of a small roll of fermented rice noodles laid on a green lettuce leaf and topped with a slice of cucumber and cooked shrimp and pork belly, dressed with sour-sweet and salty fried chili jam, sprinkled with roasted peanuts and decorated with coriander leaf and a thin julienne of fresh red chili pepper. A squeeze of fresh lime juice is applied just before eating the dish.
Swamp Eel Triple-Layered Red Curry with Fingerroot, Bitter Ginger, Sand Ginger and Thai Basil Flowers (แกงเผ็ดปลาไหลทรงเครื่อง ; Gaaeng Phet Bplaa Lai Sohng Khreuuang)
This eel curry includes a greater-than-usual quantity of aromatics used over three stages. First, the eel is cleaned and sliced into segments; then it is fried with a generous amount of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and shallots. These help to counter its muddy and somewhat iron-like odor, which disappears along with the liquids and the aromatics.
This eel curry recipe is adapted from the vintage book: “Gap Khaao O:H Chaa Roht” by Ging Ga Nohk) (กับข้าวโอชารส โดย กิ่งกนก – กาญจนาภา พ.ศ. 2485). This rare book was written in 1942 during WWII, a period of global turmoil in which Thailand was invaded by the Japanese. That same year marked a decade from the ending of absolute monarchy rule in 1932, and one generation away from the peak of the Siamese culinary renaissance that flourished in the court of King Rama V (1868-1910): a nostalgic era for its children who are still with us to remember and reflect on those times.
Country-Style Curry (แกงบ้านนอก; gaaeng baan naawk)
Gaaeng baan naawk, a country soup of prawns, pork belly and snakehead fish built on a pounded grilled-fish base. Tamrap Sai Yaowapa, 1935.
Thai Salad of Chicken and Seven Vegetables Blanched in Coconut Milk and Served With Sour-Salty and Sweet Coconut Curry Dressing, Crispy Fried Shallots and Roasted Sesame Seeds
(yam thawaai ; ยำทวาย) This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens. This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing. These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.
(yam thawaai ; ยำทวาย) This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens. This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing. These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.
Chuu Chee Curry of Stuffed Banana Chilies with Pork, Shrimp and Crab Meat (ฉู่ฉี่พริกสอดไส้ ; chuu chee phrik yuaak saawt sai)
This chuu chee features avocado-green banana chilies and the pinkish mixture of pork, shrimp and crab meats. The chilies are sliced open and stuffed with a mixture of the meats, which is seasoned with the basic saam gluuhr (สามเกลอ) paste – the Siamese trio of coriander roots, Thai garlic and white peppercorns. The stuffed chilies are then steamed before being cooked in a thick, reddish, coconut cream-based curry. The liquids collected in the tray during the steaming process are packed with the light sweet fruitiness of the banana chilies; these liquids are reserved and added to the broth, producing a bright and light-bodied dish.
Rice Seasoned with Shrimp Paste
(khaao khlook gabpi ; ข้าวคลุกกะปิ) สูตรทำข้าวคลุกกะปิของ หม่อมเจ้าจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล - Rice Seasoned with Shrimp Paste Recipe - Each of the dish’s components is separately prepared and set aside, and mixed individually for each serving. A pleasant harmony of several flavors is created – complex and profound in taste, the dish is a stunning display of confidence. There are many variations of this dish: I have chosen to publish the version described by Prince Johngjit thanaawm Disagoon. This is the very same version prepared for King Chulalongkorn the Great during his unforgettable trip to Italy.
(khaao khlook gabpi ; ข้าวคลุกกะปิ) สูตรทำข้าวคลุกกะปิของ หม่อมเจ้าจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล - Rice Seasoned with Shrimp Paste Recipe - Each of the dish’s components is separately prepared and set aside, and mixed individually for each serving. A pleasant harmony of several flavors is created – complex and profound in taste, the dish is a stunning display of confidence. There are many variations of this dish: I have chosen to publish the version described by Prince Johngjit thanaawm Disagoon. This is the very same version prepared for King Chulalongkorn the Great during his unforgettable trip to Italy.
Kapi pla, an old-fashioned fermented shrimp paste relish (กะปิพล่า ; gabpi phlaa)
Thai Spicy Catfish Recipe
Crispy Catfish Stir-Fried with Wild Ginger and Fresh Peppercorn
(bplaa dook thaawt graawp phat grachaai phrik thai aawn)
สูตรทำปลาดุกทอดกรอบผัดกระชายพริกไทยอ่อน This Thai spicy catfish recipe gives catfish a new and fabulous spin. You can either use farmed or game fish with the same phenomenal results. The intensity of the wild ginger combined with aromatic fresh peppercorn will turn even muddy flavor fish into a delicacy. Slice the fish are first, then role it in flour and deep-fry it to a crispy crunch. Quickly stir-fry the crispy fish with wild ginger and the peppercorns releasing their aromatic oils, creating wonderful flavors. While seasoning with light soy sauce and oyster sauce, our fish is now regaining heavenly moisture without losing its tempting crispiness.
Crispy Catfish Stir-Fried with Wild Ginger and Fresh Peppercorn
(bplaa dook thaawt graawp phat grachaai phrik thai aawn)
สูตรทำปลาดุกทอดกรอบผัดกระชายพริกไทยอ่อน This Thai spicy catfish recipe gives catfish a new and fabulous spin. You can either use farmed or game fish with the same phenomenal results. The intensity of the wild ginger combined with aromatic fresh peppercorn will turn even muddy flavor fish into a delicacy. Slice the fish are first, then role it in flour and deep-fry it to a crispy crunch. Quickly stir-fry the crispy fish with wild ginger and the peppercorns releasing their aromatic oils, creating wonderful flavors. While seasoning with light soy sauce and oyster sauce, our fish is now regaining heavenly moisture without losing its tempting crispiness.
FShrimp Tom Bproong Soht Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)
Gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht: grilled shrimp with green mango and pickled garlic, seasoned at the bowl. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
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