Thai Mussels in Coconut Broth

 

Harmony is the guiding principle behind this dish. Influenced by Thai cuisine,  this mussels recipe is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something that is uniquely delicious. In  less than 30 minutes, you can have a seafood feast that is just as good, if not better, than any sophisticated  five- star restaurant.

Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup green beans, ends trimmed, sliced thin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup red bell peppers,thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled grated
1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon curry powder
One 13.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 Tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
1 cup chicken stock
3 pounds Pei mussels, scrubbed, beard removed
Zest and Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, for garnish

Directions:
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil, potatoes, green beans, peppers, garlic, ginger,lemongrass, red pepper flakes and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender but still have a bite, about 10 more minutes. Add the mussels, lime zest and juice, and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat until all the mussels open.

Remove from heat and discard any mussels that did not open Remove and discard the lemon grass. Season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and scallions and stir to combine.Serve from Dutch oven into individual bowls, and garnish with cilantro.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

 

 

Tom Kha Gai ( Thai Chicken Coconut Soup) ต้มข่าไก่

tom-kha-gai-chicken-coconut-soup.jpg

 

“A soothing that calms the soul”, is how my friend described what Tom Kha Gai is like, as he reminisced about his childhood memories and so graciously shared his mother’s recipe with me.

Tom Kha Gai is a soup made of chicken (Gai) cooked (Tom) in coconut milk which has been infused with galangal (Kha), lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves.This dish is simple and easy to prepare and most of the  ingredients can be easily found at your local Asian specialty market. They usually sell them in quantities greater than what you will need, but know that these ingredients  freeze really well and can be readily available for the next time you want to  make soup or a curry. If you cannot find galangal at a store near you, you can use ginger as a substitute.  Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the kaffir lime leaves.

tom kha gai recipe

 

Galangal (kha ข่า) is one of the most important ingredients in any tom kha gai recipe (ต้มข่าไก่).

 

It has an earthy spice flavor, and many people compare the taste to ginger. Galangal is included in many Thai curries and soups, and when used in small quantities, it provides a subtle kick of flavor. You don’t normally eat the actual pieces of galangal, but instead it’s boiled in the soup and releases its wonderful essence.

 

Serves 6

Ingredients:
One 1-inch piece of galangal, peeled and cut into paper thin, coin sized pieces
10 kaffir lime leaves or 1 Tablespoon lime zest and ¼ cup lime juice
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into bite-size pieces
5-6 Thai red chilies (more or less, depending on your heat preference)
One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 teaspoon palm sugar
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed
Cilantro leaves with tender stems, lime wedges, steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Chili oil, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Using the back of a knife, lightly smash lemongrass; cut lemongrass into 4” pieces. Bring lemongrass, galamgal, lime leaves, and  chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors are melded, 8–10 minutes. Strain broth into clean saucepan; discard solids.

Add chicken to the strained broth and return to a boil. Reduce heat, add mushrooms, and simmer, skimming occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are soft, 20–25 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, throw in the smashed chilies and remove the pot from heat immediately. Mix  in the  coconut milk,  lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir in the cilantro leaves and taste. Add more lime juice and fish sauce, if necessary.

Divide soup among bowls. Serve with lime wedges and teamed jasmine rice as an entree.

 

 

Cook’s Notes:
One pound of deviened and shelled shrimp can be substituted for the the chicken.

You can also use white button, cremini, and oyster mushrooms. Any meaty, mild-flavored mushrooms will do. Portobello mushrooms are fine flavor- and texture-wise, but even with the gills carefully scraped off they still turn the broth into an unappetizing shade of gray. Do not use shiitake; the flavor is way too strong for this. Also, DO NOT use any kind of dried mushrooms because they will change the flavor profile of this dish quite drastically, and not in a good way.

 

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Photo Credit: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

In China, cucumbers are considered the ideal foil for hot weather and hot food. Versions of this salad, pai huang gua, are served all over the country, sometimes spiked with dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns for more dimensions of flavor. In Beijing, people buy whole chilled cucumbers from street vendors and munch them on the go, much as Americans become attached to their cups of iced coffee in summer. The smashing process, a classic Chinese technique, cracks the skin, helps release the seeds and splits the flesh into appealing craggy pieces. Salting and chilling the cracked cucumbers give them the perfect cool, crunchy, watery mouth feel.

Serves 4 to 6:

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds  English cucumbers
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers
2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.

On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.

Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.

When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.