How to cook superior Thai cuisine

Tasty, healthy and authentic: try this exclusive Thai recipe for a simple yet impressive meal. You may think that cooking Thai food yourself is overly ambitious, but an authority in the cuisine says creating a Thai masterpiece in your own kitchen is possible – you just have to go back to school. Chef Rujira Herd (Ru), course leader at Krua Thai Cookery School in Edinburgh, has more than 20 years’ experience teaching students, chefs and enthusiasts from across the world the secrets of traditional Thai cookery. Prior clients include celebrity chef Albert Roux and Hilton International Board executives. “Thai food is amazingly popular,” said Ru. “People like how fresh and clean it is on the palate, the taste, the different flavours such as sour, sweet and the spicy - Thai food is perfect if you want variety. “And it’s very healthy. Other cuisines use a lot of salt or a lot of fat, but Thai food is different because of the way it is blended, so it’s good for long-term health. “We don’t want to just make Thai food, we want to impress people with what we create and get them talking about it.” So, if you’re a chef or a beginner and want to make superior Thai food, head to Krua Thai Cookery School in Liberton Brae, or visit www.kruathai.co.uk to book class. The school also offers a variety of workshops at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, venue 376. Tickets available from the Fringe Box Office for the discounted price of £49. To get a taste for traditional Thai, try this recipe from Krua Thai Cookery School. The school’s recipes are not available online, so you can impress your friends with this exclusive dish. Gai Tom Klong (Rustic hot and sour chicken soup with mushrooms)

Ingredients:

Set 1: 300g chicken thighs, halved ................................... Set 2: 6-8 slices galangal 1 stem lemon grass, cut to 4cm strips 150g mushrooms, quartered 3-5 shallots, roasted and crushed 4 cups stock ¾-1 tablespoon fish sauce 3-4 tablespoons light soya sauce ½ teaspoon sugar 1-2 tablespoons tamarind ½ tablespoon lemon juice Set 3: 4-6 lime leaves 4-5 fried/roasted chilli and the same quantity fresh bird eye chilli 2 tablespoons crushed garlic 30-50 saw leaves 2 tablespoons oil Chopped coriander, mint and spring onion to taste Method: 1. Boil the chicken thighs in a pot for 30 minutes. 2. Once the chicken is cooked, set to one side in the pot. 3. Sprinkle oil in another pot and fry garlic until golden. 4. Add boiled chicken, stock and stir in all set 2 ingredients, adjusting quantities of galangal, shallots, tamarind and the sauces to taste. 5. Sprinkle with roasted chilli, saw leaves, chopped coriander, mint and spring onion. Serve hot.