 |
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 1 |
|
Jasmin is a piece of work. Her single-word name only enhances her celebrity status. She's the chef/proprietor of her eponymous quintessential beach hut restaurant on the northern tip of Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. A tall, sexy native with long jet black hair and flowing silk dresses, she's as sharp as a razor blade and intimidating as hell. If you ask her a question, she stops, squints her eyes dubiously, and raises an eyebrow. She's the Queen Bee here. Her worker bees are the little barefoot gypsy kids who live on the beach, the happiest kids I've ever seen. They take her orders, serve her food, and assist her in effortlessly knocking out the freshest and most delicious Thai dishes aroundher clientele buzzes in from every surrounding island. Just bring us whatever you'd like (I try to skip the questions). I'll kick back with a Singha and watch those iconic longtail boats pull up with ice crates of screamingly fresh local fish, and I'm eating perfectly executed delicacies fifteen minutes later. Here's a woman who is truly about abundance, joie de vivre, and a spirit so vibrant that it inspires everyone. A true domestic goddess. She graciously taught me this classic in her (outdoor) kitchen on the beach. Ingredients:
2 tablespoons red onions, finely chopped |
a dash of peanut or olive oil |
shrimp (deveined), or calamari (cleaned and sliced) or chicken or pork (thinly sliced) |
an egg |
a small handful of thai rice noodles |
1/2 a cup (max) of chicken stock or water |
4 to 5 glugs of fish sauce |
a heaping tablespoon tamarind sauce |
1/2 tablespoon palm sugar or unrefined caster sugar |
a pinch or 2 of crushed red chile flakes |
a handful of bean sprouts |
3 or 4 scallions, cut into 3-inch sticks |
2 to 3 tablespoons raw cashews, coarsely chopped |
fresh lime wedges and cucumber slices |
Directions:
1. Get your mise completely ready to go, because this dish only takes about 5 minutes to cook.
2. In a wok (of course you can use a frying pan, but it's just not the same; even those cheap stainless steel ones work better than a pan), fry the red onion in a little peanut or olive oil. Add the shrimp (or calamari, chicken, or pork). Cook for a minute. They'll continue so dont worry too much if theyre still slightly opaque, and move them over to the side. Make a well in the center. Crack the egg in there and scramble with a fork till cooked. Push over to the side along with the shrimp.
3. Break the noodles in half (unless your wok is the huge industrial size), and add to the center with about 1/4 cup of the stock, the fi sh sauce, tamarind sauce, palm sugar (dissolve it in a little hot water if too thick), and red chile flakes. Mix well into the noodles, leaving the shrimp and scrambled egg off to the side.
4. Cook the noodles in the sauce for a few minutes, stirring lightly to ensure that they dont clump together. The noodles should be just softenedyou want them nice and chewy. Taste and adjust the seasoningand add more stock if necessary.
5. Now add the bean sprouts and the scallions, stir everything together, and heat it through. Immediately turn onto large plate and top with the chopped cashews. Garnish with lime and cucumber slices.
6. You now just need a pair of chopsticks and an ice cold Singha.
7. From The Pleasure is All Mine by Suzanne Pirret, (C) 2009, William Morrow/An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
|
|