Emmy's Garden

Ingredients

2-3 (about 400g) skinless chicken breast fillets
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 lime, sliced
100g Chinese (mung bean) vermicelli
250g green beans, halved
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, shredded
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fried shallots

DRESSING
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons palm sugar, grated

Instructions:

1. Put chicken breast fillets in a large deep fry pan, add the kaffir lime leaves and lime slices and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a very slow simmer and poach the chicken for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain the chicken, reserving 60ml of the liquid. Allow chicken to cool slightly then shred finely using your fingers.

2. While the chicken is cooking put the vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes or until tender then drain well. Cook the beans until tender then drain.

3. Put the chicken, vermicelli, coriander, basil leaves, green beans, spring onions and shallots into a bowl and toss to combine.

4. To make the dressing - Put the reserved cooking liquid, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar in a jug and whisk well. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.

Spicy Basil Chicken
(Substitute the chicken with pork, beef, squid, shrimp, seafood, . . . anything you like!)

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying
• 10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with 1/2 cup sliced onion) � optional
• 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces (substitute other meats as desired)
  
• 12-20 Thai chillies (prik kee noo), cut into very thin rounds; or substitute 4-6 serrano, jalape�o or fresno peppers, cut into large slivers with seeds
• 2 small kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-gkrood), very finely slivered (optional)
• 2-3 tsp. black soy sauce (the semi-sweet kind), or to taste
• 2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam bplah), or to taste
• 1 cup fresh Thai holy basil (bai gka-prow), or Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) leaves and flower buds; or use 1/4 cup dried holy basil, soaked to soften plus 1/2 to 1 cup fresh Thai sweet basil (bai horapa)
• Dash of ground white pepper

Prepare the ingredients as instructed. Leave the fresh basil leaves whole; the flower buds may also be used. The dried holy basil will soften when soaked in tap water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pull off and discard the hard stems. Drain.

Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface. Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the shallots or onion. Stir another 15 to 20 seconds before adding the chicken. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the chicken has changed color on the outside and is no longer pink.

Toss in the chillies, slivered kaffir lime leaves (if using), and softened dried holy basil (if using). Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 15 to 20 seconds. Season to taste with fish sauce, then stir in the fresh basil. Toss well. Stir-fry another 1/2 to 1 minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken cooked through. Sprinkle with white pepper. Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.

Coconut Seafood Soup with Galanga

Ingredients

• A 2 to 3-inch section fresh or frozen Thai galanga, or 6-8 dried pieces
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 3 cups rich coconut milk
• 3 cups water
• 8 medium-size prawns
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4-5 whole squid
• 8-10 mussels in the shell
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 a dungeness crab, preferably uncooked
• 8 large sea scallops
• 1 small onion, quartered and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 3-4 red jalapeno or fresno peppers, to desired hotness, cut in large slivers
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, thinly slivered
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 4-6 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste
• Juice of 1-2 limes, to desired sourness
• 1-2 Tbs. palm sugar, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• A handful of cilantro leaves or short sprigs

With a sharp knife, slice the galanga root thinly; it is not necessary to peel unless the outside has turned old and brown. Cut and discard the bottom tip of the lemon grass and remove the loose outer leaf or leaves. Slice at a long slanted angle, about an inch apart, all the way up the stalk to near where the grass blade starts. Smash and bruise with the flat side of a cleaver to release the aromatic oils and flavor. Place both galanga and lemon grass in a soup pot.

Spoon as much of the thick cream off the top of the coconut milk as you can and reserve for later use. Add the remaining watery part along with 3 cups of water to the herbs in the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the seafood and remaining ingredients. Shell and butterfly the prawns. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and a 2 Tbs. of water. Mix well and set aside for about 10 minutes. Then rinse a few times to remove all the salt. Clean the squid, cutting the tube-like body into 3-4 circles about an inch apart. Leave the tentacles whole. Store in cold water until ready to use.

Scrub the mussels to remove any sand and mud from the shells. Cover with cold water with 1/2 tsp. of baking soda added. Pull off the crab legs and claw. Use only the top half of the legs; disjoint the claw in two pieces. Crack each leg and claw piece with the back of a cleaver or heavy knife. Cut the body half into 2-3 pieces. Leave the scallops whole. Prepare the remaining ingredients as indicated above.

When the herbs have simmered sufficiently to draw out their flavors, add the sliced onion, slivered chillies and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer 2-3 more minutes. Then add the mushrooms and reserved coconut cream. Stir well to blend into the broth and season to taste with fish sauce. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Drain the mussels and squid. When the soup has just reached the boiling point, add the mussels and crab pieces. Stir. After 15 seconds, stir in the remaining seafood. Add half the lime juice. Stir, then taste; if you wish the soup to be more limy, add more lime juice. Adjust the sour and salty flavors with enough palm sugar to return the sweet, rich taste of the coconut milk.

The seafood should be ready in about a minute or so. Turn off heat and sprinkle with freshly ground white pepper. Stir well, then transfer to a soup tureen, or ladle into individual serving bowls, and garnish the top with cilantro.

 

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Send to:  EmmysGarden@gardener.com

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