Thai food tastes like ‘sunshine and happiness’
Flavours bright, light and fun to share
EDMONTON — The wonderful thing about food is that it can be your own creative canvas.
If you are tired of the way things look (or smell, or taste or feel), then food is one way to change it up, right from the centre of your own life, the kitchen. It’s less drastic than dumping your relationship or leaving your job. And it’s cheaper than a sun vacation.
Edmonton-based personal chef Elaine Wilson says the style of eating in Thailand emphasizes togetherness and the food has a similar focus.
“The focus is balance, with bright flavours like lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves,” she says. “The food is fresh, light and uber-healthy … But it’s also the pleasure of eating in community. Everyone eats from a communal plate in Thailand. Everyone shares the food, and it just tastes like sunshine and happiness.”
Wilson is a purist and believes in using the best Thai ingredients she can find. But she is also practical, and says cooks don’t need to make their own curry paste from scratch for sauces such as green curry or red curry. She likes some store-bought pastes, including Mae Ploy and May Jim.
“Even in Thailand, people buy curry paste from the market,” she says. “It’s very time-consuming to make your own. It’s like making your own chocolate.”
Once you’ve fought past the mental barrier of curry paste, there are numerous Thai dishes that are fast and easy to prepare. Thai cooking features lots of dipping sauces for added exotic appeal and they can also be used as salad dressings. An abundance of rice is key for mopping up sauce, and cooling the mouth after contact with fiery ingredients.
Thai cooking is very much about balancing heat from chilies, as well as sour, salty and sweet flavours. Because everybody’s taste is different, Wilson suggests serving Thai food with condiment bowls of lime wedges, chilies, palm sugar, vinegar and fish sauce so that each diner can adjust their servings as they see fit.
Elaine Wilson’s Thai Green Curry with Chicken
Wilson says a good green curry is easily replicated at home. This recipe serves two to four people.
1 2/3 cups (400 mL) coconut milk, separated (see below) 2 tbsp (30 mL) green curry paste (or to taste) 4 large kaffir lime leaves, minced, with stem removed 1/2 to 1 tbsp (7.5 mL to 15 mL) palm sugar, or other raw brown sugar or honey (or to taste) 2 to 6 small, skinny Thai chili peppers, sliced (or to heat taste) 1/2 pound (226 g) chicken, cut into small, bitesized pieces 1 cup (240 mL) Thai eggplant, quartered and diced (Japanese eggplant can substitute) 1/4 cup (60 mL) green peas 10 Thai basil leaves, chopped (purple stems, slight licorice flavour)
To separate coconut milk, buy it well ahead and let it sit in your pantry for a couple of days so the coconut cream rises to the top. Put it in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, preferably a day, and the cream will get hard, making it easy to separate. Open the tin from the bottom to pour off the coconut water (reserve it for soups or smoothies). Another option is to add all the unseparated coconut milk, and cook the sauce long enough for most of the water to evaporate and the sauce to get thick (probably 20 minutes at least).
Heat a small fry pan or pot over medium heat and gently fry curry paste a couple of minutes, until aromatic. Wilson recommends using curry paste brands Mae Jin or Mae Ploy, often available in the import aisle at major grocery stores.
Add the coconut cream and let it bubble a couple of minutes to melt the curry paste, stirring to combine. Add the minced kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar and sliced chilies (you can add a bit now and more later if you want it hotter). Let it bubble several minutes until the sauce thickens; the oil may begin to separate but that’s OK. Add the chicken, eggplant and peas, stirring gently to separate pieces, and allow to cook five or six minutes until cooked through. Top with Thai basil and serve with hot rice.
Elaine Wilson’s Spicy Thai Beef Salad
This is one of Wilson’s favourite salads. Serves four.
Vinaigrette
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 small Thai chili peppers, sliced 4 tbsp (60 mL) fish sauce (or to taste) 3 tbsp (45 mL) lime juice, fresh 1 tbsp (15 mL) palm sugar (or other raw, brown sugar or honey)
Salad
6 cups (1,440 mL) lettuce greens of your choice 1 tbsp (15 mL) mint, chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) cilantro, chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) Thai basil leaves, chopped (optional) 1/4 English cucumber, sliced into thin half moons 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 8 to 12 wedges 1/2 red pepper, sliced 2 green onions, 1 inch (2.5 cm) diagonal slices 1/2 pound (226 g) cooked steak, roast beef, chicken, pork or shrimp 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (or equivalent amount of red onion) 3 tbsp (45 mL) peanuts, roasted, chopped small lime wedges for garnish
In a medium bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients. Set aside. On a platter, arrange the lettuce greens and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, mint and Thai basil if using.
Arrange the other chopped vegetables on top. Toss the cooked meat with the sliced shallot and half the vinaigrette. Arrange the marinated meat on top of the salad, drizzle all with the remaining vinaigrette (you might not use all of it) and garnish with the chopped peanuts and lime wedges.
Note: The vinaigrette keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.