Thai Basil Chili Chicken

For me if its not Pad Thai when we go out for Thai its Basil Chicken. The flavour is big and unforgettable. I love it! If I’d have known how simple it and quick this was to prepare this would be my go to recipe, I would be making it all the time.
This is a Kasma Loha-unchit recipe. I have no idea how it ended up in my pile of recipes to try, but I will be attempting more of his recipe after this one was such a huge success. It taste exactly like my local Thai restaurant, which means perfect!

2-3 tbsp peanut oil, for stir-frying
10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
500g boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces 10 Thai chillies, cut into very thin rounds
2 small kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded (optional)
2-3 tsp black soy sauce (I used Ketchup Manis – sweet Indonesian soy sauce)
2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
1 cup fresh Thai holy basil, or Thai sweet basil leaves
Pepper

Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface. Toss in the garlic and shallots. Stir 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 and kaffir lime leaves. 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.



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Neil Perry's Grilled Squid Salad & Thai `Son-In-Law' Eggs

Here is the final installment of the ladies lunch I have mentioned previously with the Thai Sweet Pork Salad and Thai Egg Nests.

The last 2 dishes were a grilled squid salad and ‘son-in-law’ eggs. They were not my favourites, but I think to be fair if these were the only dishes served I would have raved about them, they are still wonderful The eggs have a gorgeous texture with a sweet and sour dressing and the squid works really well with the peanuts, ground rice and fried garlic and shallots to make it crispy and smoky along side the sweet and crunchy cos lettuce and the juicy squid.




Neil Perry's Grilled Squid Salad

2 cloves garlic
2 green chillies, deseeded
2 coriander roots
1 tsp sea salt
6 tbs palm sugar
3 tbs lime juice
5 tbs fish sauce
250 grams squid, cut into rectangles and scored inside
vegetable oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup fine julienne of ginger
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
1 cup Thai basil leaves
2 red chillies, deseeded and cut into julienne
1 baby cos lettuce
fried shallots
fried garlic
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 tbs rice, roasted and ground to a powder

Pound together the garlic, chillies, coriander roots and salt and then add the palm sugar and mix in the lime juice and fish sauce.

Brush the squid with oil, and sear it quickly on a char grill.

Mix the shallots, red onion, ginger, mint, coriander, basil and chillies with the dressing and toss with the grilled squid.

Arrange the cos lettuce on a platter, place the squid on top, and sprinkle with the fried shallots, fried garlic, peanuts and rice.




Thai `Son-In-Law' Eggs

6 eggs
¼ cup peanut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 chillies, seeded and sliced
2 tbs palm sugar
3 tbs water
2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 tbs fish sauce
coriander leaves

Place the eggs in boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes.

Run under cold water and peel. Dry the eggs on paper towels and pierce several times with a toothpick.

Fry the eggs in the oil until golden and crisp and drain on paper towels.

Pour off most of the oil and stir-fry the onions and chillies until the onions are golden and slightly crisp and remove from the pan.

In a separate pan, mix the palm sugar, water, tamarind and fish sauce. Stir over low heat for a few minutes until slightly thick.

Serve the eggs with the onions spooned over, followed by the sauce and garnish with the coriander leaves.

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Thai sweet pork salad

And with this miserable Monday I have the second instalment of our ladies Thai lunch I mentioned the other day with the gorgeous Egg Nests.

This was my second favourite dish of the day. The caramel process is a little hard, but I must say these Daring Bakers challenges have taught me to persist with caramel. I did have to add a splash of water to the pan and resist stirring it continuously and it worked a treat.

The cute story that goes along with this dish is it is the hostess’ favourite. Sophia, her daughter-in-law helped her make it a few months ago and loved. Sophia’s not too kitchen savvy but decided to try and remake this for her parents without the recipe! (Something I would never dare with dish like this). When she was plating it she was confused that it lacked the gorgeous look and texture from the caramel and so covered it with barbeque sauce! And yes, our hostess was horrified when Sophia admitted this!

500 grams pork neck (Scotch fillet)
125 grams sugar
2 tbs water
fish sauce
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
2 star anise
5 cloves garlic
3 tbs chopped coriander root and stem
1 green chilli, deseeded 1 tsp sea salt
1 tbs palm sugar
½ cup lime juice
10 shallots, finely sliced
1 cup coriander leaves
1 cup mint leaves
2 tbs roasted peanuts, crushed
2 tbs fried shallots bean sprouts, picked

Slice the pork into 1-inch strips, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, and then strain and set aside

Heat the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, and then boil rapidly until the sugar turns golden brown.

Add 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the light and dark soy sauces, and the star anise.
Add the pork and simmer until tender and coated with the caramel syrup, about 15 minutes, and then cool.

Pound the garlic, coriander, salt and chilli to a paste.

Dissolve the palm sugar in 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and then stir in the lime juice, shallots and paste.

Combine the coriander leaves, mint leaves, bean sprouts and pork and toss through the dressing.
Serve sprinkled with the peanuts and shallots.

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Thai Egg Nets

I was recently invited to a gorgeous ladies lunch overlooking the Sydney harbor. There was great company, a paddle in the swimming pool, gorgeous wines, beautiful view, delicious food and a few hours of fun preparing in the kitchen.

Over the next few weeks I'll drip feed you the various recipes, but this one was my favourite for the pure enjoyment of making the fancy egg part. My first few were dodgy but I got into the swing of it and the pan got nice and hot and I was on a roll. They were quite the novelty on the table and they tasted yummy too.

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4 coriander (cilantro) roots

2 cloves of garlic

10 peppercorns

salt

vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

115 grams minced pork

75 grams shalled raw prawns, chopped

50 grams roasted peanuts, ground

1 tsp palm sugar

fish sauce

3 eggs

coriander leaves

spring onions

2 red chillies, finaly sliced

Pound together the coriander roots, garlic, peppercorns with a pinch of salt to a paste.

Stirfry the paste in a little oil till fragrant. Add the onion and cook further till softened.

Add the pork and prawns and continue to stirfry until the meat is cooked. Add the peanuts, palm sugar, and the salt and fish sauce to taste and sontinue to cook until it becomes sticky.

Beat the eggs and pour into a squeeze bottle (makes it all much easier).

Heat a small frying pan, add a little oil, and make a lattice with the eggs into the pan using the squeeze bottle. When the net is set, remove and repeat until all the eggs have been used.

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Lay a net on a board, lay a few coriander leaves on the holes of the net, spoon in some filling - form into a neat square (like folding a spring roll or cold roll) and repeat with the remaining nets.

Garnish with more coriander leaves, the spring onion and sliced chillies.

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