The ideal summer dish should be refreshing and cooling. It should also be unintimidated by the relentless summer heat, and able to withstand being left outside on the kitchen table without spoiling.
As such, it would make sense to use fewer ingredients, and choose only those which store well.
Here is a summer dish that showcases the wisdom of creating complex flavors through simplicity. Using just lightly salted semi-dried snakehead fish, golden deep-fried shallots and a sweetening agent (either sugar or coconut), we create a condiment that partners perfectly with pieces of sweet juicy watermelon.
The dry fish is rinsed, let to dry again, and then its meat is separated from the bones and skin. It is crumbled until it is fluffy, and then roasted or fried until completely dry. The final product is seasoned to a sweet-salty mixture which is sprinkled on top of cold, juicy and refreshing watermelon, pineapple or even sticky rice enriched with sweet coconut cream and a pinch of salt (khaao niaao naa bplaa; ข้าวเหนียวหน้าปลา).
The Modern Version is called bplaa haaeng dtaaeng mo:h (ปลาแห้งแตงโม), in which the fish is roasted to a dry powdery form before it is seasoned with granulated white sugar and mixed with deep-fried crispy shallots.
Khoon Muaang Raatniguun’s version – Early 19th century Coconut cream is slowly cooked until it cracks and separates to oil (khee lo:h ขี้โล้); to this, crumbled dried fish meat is added, with the fish bestowing its saltiness and umami essence to create an unusually complex flavor. It is slowly fried in the coconut oil until it caramelizes, absorbing the sweetness of the coconut. Once crispy and brown, it is mixed with sweet and crispy shallots deep-fried in khee lo:h oil for extra crunch and sweetness, and served either on watermelon or on pineapple.
In hot weather, coconut cream goes sour in couple of hours, but khee lo:h oil can still be made from spoiled coconut cream.
This version is called Phat Bplaa Haaeng (ผัดปลาแห้ง) or Fried Dried Fish, and is mentioned in the savory dishes section of Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s (c. 1908) cookbook “Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa”. (แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์, ท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรวงษ์).
It is said that Lady Plean received this recipe from Um Daaeng Lim (อำแดงลิ้ม), the Chinese servant of Khoon Muaang Raatniguun (คุณม่วง ราชนิกูล).
Khoon Muaang Raatniguun passed away in the early 19th century, at the beginning of the reign of King Rama III.
Later on, her servant, Um Daaeng Lim, cooked the dish for the regent to King Rama V, Sohmdet Jao Phrayaa Ohng Yai [สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาองค์ใหญ่] also known as Sohmdet Jao Phrayaa Baawn Mohm Haa Sooriyawohng (Chunag Bunnag) [สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาสุริยวงศ์ (ช่วง บุนนาค)].
As the regent’s favorite dish, Sohmdet Jao Phrayaa Ohng Yai rewarded Um Daaeng Lim with money worth 5 dtam-leung (๕ ตำลึง).
Granma Bpiiam version – Early 19th century There’s another recipe from Khoon Yaai Bpiiam, the grandmother of Lady Plean Passakornrawong, who lived in the same period as Khoon Muaang in the early 19th century.
In this version Khoon Yaai Bpiiam uses pork fat, shallots and dried fish. She cuts the fat into long strips and fries it until the fat is rendered out, and the crackling becomes crunchy. She then fries sliced shallots, one by one, along with fluffy dried fish meat. When the fish is crispy and golden, she adds back the pork crackling and sprinkles with the deep-fried shallots
Cooking tips:
Thoroughly wash the dried serpent-head fish. Than roast dry it again.
For the modern version of the recipe, use almost the same quantities of dried fish, crispy shallots and granulated sugar; add maybe a just bit more dried fish meat to get a balanced taste.
When making khee lo:h (ขี้โล้) oil, crack the coconut milk in a wok until the oil separates – don’t allow it to change color.
Fry the dried fish slowly over low heat; make sure it is done slowly or it will change its color and become bitter. If the heat is too low, the fish will not become crispy.
Fried Dried Fish with Watermelon Recipe
Hanuman and Chef Thapakorn Lertviriyavit (Gorn)
Here is a summer dish that showcases the wisdom of creating complex flavors through simplicity. Using just lightly salted semi-dried snakehead fish, golden deep-fried shallots and a sweetening agent (either sugar or coconut), we create a condiment that partners perfectly with pieces of sweet juicy watermelon.
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
mee graawp sohng khreuuang (หมี่กรอบทรงเครื่อง), is an exquisitely regal dish of crispy rice vermicelli. The delicate noodles strands are washed and dried, then fried to a crisp light-golden hue. They retain their brittle crunch and airy texture even after being stir-fried with a clinging sticky sauce that encases the noodles in a thin layer of sheen. This sauce, mixed into the noodles together with other ingredients such as thin slices of pickled garlic and bitter orange peel, impart the dish with a light, fresh sweet and sour, and slightly salty and citrusy glaze.
In the Central Plains of the Kingdom, fermented rice noodles are inextricably linked to a dish known as naam yaa. Composed of a dense, coconut-based minced fish curry, the dish is infused with layers of salted fish and possesses the distinctive, invigorating and purifying notes of fingerroot. Typically, naam yaa is served with fresh lemon basil as the herb of choice along with an array of side dishes collectively known as meuuat khanohm jeen (เหมือดขนมจีน). These include blanched bean sprouts seasoned with a touch of turmeric for color, fresh lemon basil leaves, thinly sliced three colored chilies, and ground chili for added heat. More elaborate versions will add blanched Chinese bitter gourd slices, batter-fried young morning glory shoots, and fresh shrimp minced and fried with its tomalley in pork lard, as well as crispy-fried shallots as the finishing touch.
Thai Chili Jam – This is a chili jam similar to what is commonly sold under the name of roasted chili paste (naam phrik phao; น้ำพริกเผา). It is widely used as a condiment in salad dressings, soups, and seasoning for stir-fried dishes. I like to have control over my pantry ingredients, so I always use homemade naam phrik phao. Furthermore, since it is a basic ingredient used in so many dishes, anything less than the best will drastically impair the quality of your dishes.
Yam sohm choon is a sour green mango salad served with grilled fermented shrimp paste; roughly chopped shallots; sweet pork condiment, deep-fried fluffy grilled catfish and seasoned with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice and topped with deep-fried dry chilies cut into small pieces.
If you follow Thai movies and TV dramas, you probably remember Sohm Choon, the adorable boy ghost character from the period romance movie Reun Mayura (1997), which was a love story between a beautiful woman and a handsome man living in different periods of time.
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Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
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one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
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When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
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