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Freshly shucked oysters are quick-cured in a solution of tamarind paste and fish sauce. The acidic bath locks in the freshness and natural sweetness of the oysters, while gently firming up their texture. The oysters are then mixed with minced ginger and kaffir lime zest, and served with a drizzle of kaffir lime juice, fresh and crispy fried shallots, and coriander leaves.
All these elements represent a flavor layer with corners staked at different flavor locations, dressing the oysters and supporting their sweetness with additional features such as the astringency of the pungent ginger, the kaffir lime’s aromatic sour bitterness, the sweetness of crispy fried shallots, and the waxy-herbaceous notes of the fresh coriander leaves.
Cured oysters are a traditional Siamese delicacy which, along with other strong-sour or salty pickled ingredients, often replaced chili relishes in balancing the overall taste intensity distribution of the Siamese samrub. In fact, a similar version called “haawy e-rohm daawng khem (หอยอิ่รมดองเค็ม)” appeared in Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s cookbook Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (ท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรวงศ์ตำราแม่ครัวหัวป่าก์).
Despite the venerable provenance of this dish, it is contemporary and sophisticated in taste and appearance – I would recommend serving this dish as a starter or as an appetizer with a well-chilled glass of dry champagne.
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Ingredients
- 1 dozen fresh oysters (หอยนางรม)
- 1 part fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 1 part tamarind paste (น้ำมะขามเปียก)
- ginger (ขิง) minced
- kaffir lime zest (ผิวมะกรูด) minced
- shallots (หอมแดง) sliced thinly
- coriander leaves (ใบผักชี)
- crispy fried shallots (หอมแดงเจียว)
- kaffir lime juice (น้ำมะกรูด) for aroma only
Instructions
- Prepare the curing brine by mixing equal parts of freshly squeezed thick tamarind paste and fish sauce.
- If using fresh oysters, shuck them with an oyster knife and remove them from their shells; discard the liquids and transfer the oysters to a bowl.
- Marinate the oysters in the brine. Allow to rest for about five minutes, or until the oysters turn whitish in color and firm up.
- Remove the oyster from the brine and transfer them into a mixing bowl.
- Toss the oysters with the minced ginger and kaffir lime zest.
- Transfer the oysters to a serving dish or serve them in the shell.
- Squeeze a few drops of kaffir lime juice over each oyster, for aroma only.
- Garnish with hand-picked coriander leaves, kaffir lime zest, fresh shallots thinly sliced lengthwise, crispy fried shallots, and hair-thin julienned ginger.
Kaffir lime chili relish and vegetables blanched in pork lard (น้ำพริกมะกรูดกับผักตีน้ำมัน ; naam phrik magruut gap phak dtee naam man)
This relish is based on the basic chili relish recipe. The main sour element body is tamarind flesh, which is pounded together with dried chilies […]
c1941 Old-Fashioned spicy curry of chicken with young chilies (แกงเผ็ดแบบโบราณอย่างคุณถนอม ปาลบุตร พ.ศ. 2484 ; gaaeng phet baaep bo:h raan)
This is a classical Siamese spicy curry that displays a spicy, salty and sweet flavor profile, and uses common curry ingredients such as pea eggplants and young green chilies with an interesting dry spice profile.
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.
Thai Relish of Fermented Fish, Grilled Catfish, Pork and Shrimp (ปลาร้าผัดทรงเครื่องสูตรสายเยาวภา ; bplaa raa phat sohng khreuuang, suut saai yao wa phaa)
Fish fermentation consists of a simple salt-curing process: mixing or coating a whole fish, sliced fish or minced fish meat with salt and rice husks (or ground roasted rice). The mixture is then allowed to rest and ferment for few months. This fermentation process creates deep, intense umami flavor agents accompanied by a strong stench. It is only with culinary sagacity and skill that cooks are able to harness and direct these powerful flavors within the context of an appetizing dish, and to constrain the odor to an agreeable intensity.
c1949 Fermented rice noodles with multi-sour aromatic chicken sauce by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ขนมจีนน้ำพริกไก่ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธร พ.ศ. 2492; khanohm jeen naam phrik gai)
Made with fermented rice noodles and an aromatic, multi-sour coconut-based chicken sauce, this is a brilliant dish that is relatively easy to prepare. While considered […]
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