Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Flavours of Cambodia and Laos












The Flavors of Cambodia and Laos
     Last Christmas our travels took us to the ancient areas of the Khmer Empire which after the middle ages, from the 10th though the 13th  centuries, stretched throughout Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.  Today, the cuisine lives on in some of the most intense spice blends I have ever tasted.  Hannah, Benajah and Cheyenne (Benajah’s girlfriend), bopped along with us in our endless temple hunts via tuktuks, a motorcycle pulled cart.  Angkor Wat was only one of the many grand sites we saw, as we likened to the most obscure, such as Ta Som and Bayan.  It takes days to appreciate these temples, and our guide, Pho, was a good historian for three full days of adventure.  It was Pho who introduced us to Khmer food, and to his childhood life as a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. The stories unfolded over the slow rides in our tuktuk, (as the big tour buses blasted by us), and as we ate our first Amok, the Cambodian fish stew.  In Laos, Cheyenne and I attended a day long cooking class in an outdoor kitchen that was hidden in a dense jungle atmosphere.  Here I learned about the unique spice pastes. These recipes may seem daunting, but these ingredients are easily found in Asian markets across the U.S.  Yes, you can do it!

Khmer Curry Paste: (keeps in freezer for several months)
3 tablespoons oil
2 inches Galangal (or Ginger Root), peeled and sliced in shreds
1 inches Turmeric Root, peeled and sliced into shreds
6 cloves Garlic, chopped
3 stalks Lemongrass, inner part of bottom third only, chopped
4 small Shallots, peeled and chopped
10 Kaffir Lime leaves, finely sliced
2 teaspoons fish paste, finely chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all ingredients
and fry until golden brown.
 Transfer to a mortar or food processor and blend into a smooth paste.

 Khmer Curry:
       ¼ cup Oil 
        2 tablespoons Annatto Seeds
        1 lb. fresh firm fish such as sea bass, haddock, cod or snapper, cut in large 2 in. chunks
        5 fresh Kaffir Lime leave
        3 Carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds    
        1  Sweet Potato, peeled and sliced
        1 Onion, peeled and cut in 8thsablespoons Fish Sauce
        1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

         ¾ cup Green Beans, trimmed and cut in 1 ½ in pieces
         1  Asian Eggplant, sliced
         2  cups Coconut Milk  
         Spice Paste: 4 Star Anise Pods, 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds, 1 cup dried red  finger length Chili Peppers, soaked in water for 20 minutes the drained, seeded and sliced thin
          3 Tablespoons Khmer Curry Paste

To make the spice paste combine the star anise and coriender seeds in a small skillet and toast them over med. heat until fragrant.  Transfer to mortar and pound them into a fine powder.  Add the soaked chilis, dried shrimp paste and the Khmer Curry Paste and pound into a paste.  Tranfer to a small bowl.
Heat oil in a wok or skillet over med. heat and add the annatoo seeds. When the oil starts to smoke and has a red color, strain it and return to pan, discarding the seeds.  Heat the oil to med. high heat and fry the fish until cooked through, just a minute or two, turning.  Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add the spice paste to the wok or skillet and fry until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Reduce the heat to med. and add the kaffir lime leaves, carrots, sweet potato, onion and sugar (and fish paste, if using).  Mix well and add a little water to moisten.  Stir fry for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender.  Add the green beans, eggplant and fried fish and cook another 5 minutes.  Add coconut milk, bring to a boil, and serve!

No comments:

Post a Comment