These were very good, and although time consuming, worth it. Although not really a practical, say Wednesday night dinner, this was a fun Saturday afternoon project. We actually made them a few weeks ago, when it was still pretty cool here in Portland, but if you were to grill these, I’d think they’d still be a pretty good hot weather choice.

The original recipe did not call for any kind of binder in the fish cakes. I honestly did not trust my ability to keep the fish cakes together without one so I added an egg white. You do what you need to do there. For serving, you’ll want some spinach leaves, basil leaves and maybe some rice.

One important thing before we get to the recipe and photos — this is my friend Michael Grenley. I met him in Flagstaff, AZ in 1995 . . . → Read More: Thai Style Fish Cakes]]>

These were very good, and although time consuming, worth it. Although not really a practical, say Wednesday night dinner, this was a fun Saturday afternoon project. We actually made them a few weeks ago, when it was still pretty cool here in Portland, but if you were to grill these, I’d think they’d still be a pretty good hot weather choice.

The original recipe did not call for any kind of binder in the fish cakes. I honestly did not trust my ability to keep the fish cakes together without one so I added an egg white. You do what you need to do there. For serving, you’ll want some spinach leaves, basil leaves and maybe some rice.

One important thing before we get to the recipe and photos — this is my friend Michael Grenley. I met him in Flagstaff, AZ in 1995 where we worked together at NAU. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s a husband and a father and has a lot of worried family and friends right now. He’s been missing since July 19th from the Phoenix/Glendale area. Please help us find him. Thank you.

Thai Style Fish Cakes with Erasto’s Nuoc Cham
Adapted from the cookbook, Big Small Plates
1/2 lb cod, salmon or snapper (I used cod)
2 oz thin asparagus or hericots verts
1 stalk lemongrass
2 shallots, minced (I think I used red onion)
1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lime zest
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 egg white
pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nuoc Cham
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tsp red-chile garlic sauce (Siracha!)
2 tbsp grated carrot
5 mint leaves, julienned or chopped, depending on your mood

Make the Nuoc Cham
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until the fish cakes are done.

Speaking of fish cakes, here’s how you make those
Cut the asparagus or hericot verts into small rounds. Blanch them quickly (30-40 seconds) in boiling water and then shock in an ice bath. Drain and blot dry when cold and add to a bowl. Peel off the outer layers of the lemongrass and mince the bottom 1.5 inches of the bulb end. Save the rest of the lemongrass for another use. Add the minced lemongrass into the bowl with the blanched asparagus and add the shallots, ginger, cilantro, garlic, lime zest, sugar and fish sauce. Mix thoroughly. Place that in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

While that is chilling, rough chop your fish and then place it in a food processor. You want very fine pieces but not a puree. Add the fish to the chilled asparagus mixture and add the egg white and a little salt and pepper. Combine well but don’t over mix.

Form about 8 fish cakes about a 1/2-inch thick. You can refrigerate them at this point until you are ready to cook them. (I’d not leave them in the fridge for more than a couple of hours).

When ready, heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the fish cakes for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve on a platter of spinach and basil leaves with the Nuoc Cham on the side. A bowl of rice on the side is also nice.

You can also grill the fish cakes by oiling each side and grilling about 1.5 – 2 minutes per side.

Here it is, another French Fridays with Dorie (just fyi – site is down until Sunday) post. I’ve been looking forward to making this for awhile now and I after I’ve made it and had it for dinner, I have to admit, this has probably been my least favorite FFwD recipe. Now, the bar is pretty high of course, so it wasn’t a total failure or anything, just not my favorite. My husband liked it a lot though.

Since it’s also for lunch tomorrow, I’m thinking the flavors will come together even more overnight. Who knows, I may love it tomorrow!

Notes: 1. I added 4 garlic cloves, about 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and sweet potatoes. 2. I poured all the fat out of my pan and then deglazed with white wine. I poured that liquid into my pan with the 1.5 cups of water. 3. I crushed up . . . → Read More: FFwD: Lemongrass Braised Pork]]>

Here it is, another French Fridays with Dorie (just fyi – site is down until Sunday) post. I’ve been looking forward to making this for awhile now and I after I’ve made it and had it for dinner, I have to admit, this has probably been my least favorite FFwD recipe. Now, the bar is pretty high of course, so it wasn’t a total failure or anything, just not my favorite. My husband liked it a lot though.

Since it’s also for lunch tomorrow, I’m thinking the flavors will come together even more overnight. Who knows, I may love it tomorrow!

Notes:
1. I added 4 garlic cloves, about 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and sweet potatoes.
2. I poured all the fat out of my pan and then deglazed with white wine. I poured that liquid into my pan with the 1.5 cups of water.
3. I crushed up my cardamom seeds a bit.
4. I tossed my carrots and onion, after sauteing briefly, into the pork to braise in the oven. I did cook my sweet potatoes separately and add those at the end.
5. I also added a splash of fish sauce at the end, along with the honey.
6. Chopped green onion for garnish!

Okay, on with the photos.

Grinding up cardamom seeds.

Look at me, all with the mise en place and stuff.

Browned pork, waiting for the coconut milk, lemongrass, spices, etc…

All the good stuff on the bottom of the browning pan. Soon to be deglazed with a little white wine. And some for the chef, too.

Spices, lemongrass, lemon peel and whatnot.< ?i>

Swirling coconut milk.

After the braise, meaty and fragrant.

Ready for snacking.

And just a reminder, all of the French Friday with Dorie recipes are in the book, Around my French Table. We’re not supposed to post the recipes on our blogs, so I’m not, but they’re all right there. In the book!

The other day, let’s call it “Monday”, I had a MAJOR craving for Pad Thai. I waited a day or two to see if it would go away and when it did not, I turned to the google for an easy way to satisfy this craving. I came across the Alton Brown recipe (which I’ve made before), and while quite good, requires a trip to H-Mart or some other specialty grocery to get all the supplies. Most of the time I’m okay with that, but on a Wednesday after work, I require easier.

Then I came across this recipe in the New York Times by Mark Bittman. “Hey! I have everything already at home!”, I thought.

Then, when I got home, I realized I had no tamarind paste. But…I did have Tamarind chutney (a mix of tamarind paste, sugar, water, spices, etc…) and I decided to just use . . . → Read More: A Relatively Quick, Pad Thai-Like Dish]]>

The other day, let’s call it “Monday”, I had a MAJOR craving for Pad Thai. I waited a day or two to see if it would go away and when it did not, I turned to the google for an easy way to satisfy this craving. I came across the Alton Brown recipe (which I’ve made before), and while quite good, requires a trip to H-Mart or some other specialty grocery to get all the supplies. Most of the time I’m okay with that, but on a Wednesday after work, I require easier.

Then I came across this recipe in the New York Times by Mark Bittman. “Hey! I have everything already at home!”, I thought.

Then, when I got home, I realized I had no tamarind paste. But…I did have Tamarind chutney (a mix of tamarind paste, sugar, water, spices, etc…) and I decided to just use that (and decreased the honey to just 1 tablespoon). Lazy! But actually, it turned out great. And, as I was reading the reviews later, it seems a lot of people had trouble with the sauce being too bitter and tamarind-y.

So, I would suggest if you are following the recipe exactly and are not too familiar with how your tamarind paste tastes/works in recipes (all brands are a little different), to start with a mixture of tamarind paste + water to get the 2 – 4 tablespoons. A lot of the jars of pastes have directions on how to mix with water before using…so I’d do that. And then taste it along the way to make sure you like the flavor of the sauce. Also, remember it is being mixed into a lot of noodles and veggies…it’ll dilute a bit.

He says 25 minutes from start to finish, I say about 35-40 (but then I was using chicken — longer cooking time) and spent a few minutes searching the fridge for my tamarind paste.

Original recipe is below, my substitutions are in parentheses.

In the Style of Pad Thai
Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman, via The New York Times
4 ounces fettuccine-width rice stick noodles (I used about 3/4 of a package of rice stick noodles….I thought it would be more than 4 oz, but when actually weighed on my kitchen scale, it said 4 oz)
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 to 4 tablespoons tamarind paste (4 tbsp tamarind chutney)
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1/3 cup honey (1 tbsp honey)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (less)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
1 small head of Napa cabbage (6-7 large Savoy cabbage leaves, sliced into medium-ish pieces)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 pound peeled shrimp, pressed tofu or a combination (1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed into bite-sized pieces and about the same amount of cubes tofu)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered

Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon peanut oil to keep from sticking and set aside.

Meanwhile, put tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.

Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; if you are cooking chicken, brown it now, and cook it until it is just cooked through, remove and set aside. Then, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done.

Add cabbage and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt, then add shrimp (if using) and/or tofu.

When shrimp begin to turn pink and tofu begins to brown, add drained noodles, the chicken and the bean sprouts to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well. When noodles and sprouts are warmed through, serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro and lime wedges.

Lastly, I have taken great pains in the title of the post and in what I call it above the recipe to NOT call this authentic Pad Thai. I have also typed out “Mark Bittman” many a couple of times. Hint: This means this is not my recipe! This also means that people should not email me and yell at me about how I have ruined Pad Thai and all of Thai culture. Thank you for your cooperation!

This is a reader recipe in the current issue of Everyday Food. I didn’t change that much — I just opted to cook it in a slightly less hot oven (down from the original recipe’s 475 degrees for 60 minutes) and I added an onion in the cavity and broth/carrot/onion half on the bottom of the pan, as I tend to burn roasting pans without some liquid down there. And once you add broth, you might as well add some veggies.

Oh and I doubled the curry paste because, dude, that is good. Extra for dipping seemed like a given. And the best part? With only two if us, there’s roast chicken for lunch the next day!

Remember to check it after the first 20-30 minutes and cover it up as needed. The curry paste/honey will burn. A little is good, smoke billowing from your oven is bad. I covered . . . → Read More: Everyday Food and the Tasty, Tasty Curry-Roasted Chicken]]>

This is a reader recipe in the current issue of Everyday Food. I didn’t change that much — I just opted to cook it in a slightly less hot oven (down from the original recipe’s 475 degrees for 60 minutes) and I added an onion in the cavity and broth/carrot/onion half on the bottom of the pan, as I tend to burn roasting pans without some liquid down there. And once you add broth, you might as well add some veggies.

Oh and I doubled the curry paste because, dude, that is good. Extra for dipping seemed like a given. And the best part? With only two if us, there’s roast chicken for lunch the next day!

Remember to check it after the first 20-30 minutes and cover it up as needed. The curry paste/honey will burn. A little is good, smoke billowing from your oven is bad. I covered after the first 25 minutes, then uncovered for the last 10 minutes of oven time. My chicken got a pretty dark but all was completely fine under the skin — moist and tasty! But, if I could back and do it again, I probably would have not uncovered it so long at the end — so, there’s a lesson for you.

Thai Curried Roast Chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp red curry paste
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp roasted chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 5-6 pound chicken
1 onion, halved
2-3 carrots, chopped into 2-inch pieces
salt & pepper
1-2 cups chicken broth
limes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add the cilantro through the garlic in a food processor and combine. Divide curry mixture in half and set one of the halves aside, to be used as a dipping sauce. You can also just mix in a bowl if you like.

Rinse and pat dry your chicken (inside and out). Salt and pepper it generously.

Place one onion half inside the cavity and tie the legs together. Loosen the skin over the breast meat and run some of the curry paste under there. Then, slather the rest of the paste over the chicken and put on an oiled rack set in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of stock to the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Add veggies if you wish.

Roast for about 30 minutes, then cover with foil so the top doesn’t get too dark. Roast 45 – 60 minutes more, checking a few times to see if you need to add more stock to the bottom of the pan or adjust the foil for optimal browning/non-burning.

When white meat is 165 and dark meat at least 170, remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 – 15 minutes before carving.

Serve with lime wedges and coconut rice. We also had some sauteed green beans on the side which were really, really good. Also, bring out the unused half of the curry past for a dipping sauce. Mmm!

So, the other day I realize that I have a whole bunch of basil that I need to use, like yesterday. A quick survey of the fridge also shows some ground chicken and a small container of roasted chili pepper flakes from pokpok (the little container that comes with the curry-noodle-chicken soup). Hmmm, I think to myself, I know what I could do — I could go online and find a recipe for Thai Basil Chicken and make that. Do you see where this is going?

I ended up at Thai Table and basically sort of followed the recipe there…well, except for a few things. So, I am in no way claiming that my version is authentic Thai cooking, let’s get that straight right now. If you want that, definitely use the Thai Table recipe!

See, I just used normal basil, way less chili pepper spiciness than called for . . . → Read More: Basil Chicken Plus Sauteed Spinach Bonus!]]>

So, the other day I realize that I have a whole bunch of basil that I need to use, like yesterday. A quick survey of the fridge also shows some ground chicken and a small container of roasted chili pepper flakes from pokpok (the little container that comes with the curry-noodle-chicken soup). Hmmm, I think to myself, I know what I could do — I could go online and find a recipe for Thai Basil Chicken and make that. Do you see where this is going?

I ended up at Thai Table and basically sort of followed the recipe there…well, except for a few things. So, I am in no way claiming that my version is authentic Thai cooking, let’s get that straight right now. If you want that, definitely use the Thai Table recipe!

See, I just used normal basil, way less chili pepper spiciness than called for and I added a bunch of halved cherry tomatoes that, like the basil, were crying out to be used. The result? Very tasty!

Kind of Like Thai Basil Chicken — Except Less Spicy, with Normal Basil and Some Tomatoes Thrown in for Fun
Adapted from a recipe at Thai Table
2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp Thai red chili paste (roasted if you’ve got it, make it spicier if that’s what you’re into)
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed (If you can get actual holy basil, use that), if your basil leaves are really big, give them a quick chop
3/4 lb ground chicken
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fish sauce
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the oil in a big pan and add the minced garlic and chili paste. Cook for a few minutes until you can really smell the spiciness and everything looks a little golden, about 2-3 minutes or so.

Add the ground chicken and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir while the chicken cooks. This part will take a few minutes and the chicken will produce liquid.

Just keep cooking and stirring until most of that is reduced. Add the sugar and stir that in, cooking for about 30 seconds. Next, add the fish sauce. Stir. Finally add all of your basil leaves and the cherry tomato halves.

Stir until the basil wilts down a bit, a minute or so, and serve over rice.

***

Wow. Today is a bonus day. The other night I sauteed up some spinach to go with some fish and I started the same way I always do — a little olive oil, brown some garlic, red pepper flakes (just a pinch), a bunch of spinach and some salt.

Then, I got the idea to add about a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard right as the spinach was getting wilty. Oh my god, so good! Dijon spinach with toasted garlic is the best. Seriously.

PS: It’s frickin’ cold in here, Mr. Bigglesworth.