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Tom Yum Goong Recipe

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So, we start off a tour of Thai food with one of the most recognized of all dishes – Tom Yum Goong.  In case you weren’t aware, “Tom” in Thai means “boiled, “Yum” is “salad” and “Goong” is “shrimp.  So, literally this is a boiled salad of shrimp, but it is really so much more than that as you’ll soon find out.

Tom Yum Goong is a spicy, sweet, sour, and ultimately delicious Thai soup.

The true genius in Tom Yum Goong comes from the flavor and mixture of many herbs like lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chili, and galangal. Just thinking about it and my mouth starts to water and I inadvertently let out a sigh of “mmmmmmmm”.  You’ll note that there is a distinct sour note to the soup, as well as heat from the chili and a lusciousness provided by the coconut milk.  When combined with the sweetness of the shrimp and the earthiness of the mushrooms the combination is a delight to the palate, one of the prime reasons that Tom Yum Goong is one of the most widely recognized Thai dishes.

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Tom Yum Goong Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4
 
Tom Yum Goong is one of the most recognized Thai recipes and for good reason. This soup combines so many flavors in one bowl to create a true culinary masterpiece.
Ingredients
  • 12 medium shrimp
  • 10 straw mushrooms (10 Button mushrooms, optional)
  • 4-5 pieces thin sliced young galangal
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced in 4 pieces
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, lightly smashed and cut into pieces 2 inches in length
  • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
  • 3 small shallots, peeled and lightly smashed
  • 3-5 fresh chili, lightly smashed
  • 3-5 spiny coriander, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 2 Key limes
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons roasted chili paste
  • 2 cups coconut milk or whole milk
  • 2 cups water
Instructions
  1. Clean, peel (but leave the tail part), and then de-vein the shrimps.
  2. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and cut in half (big ones can cut into 4 pieces).
  3. Mix roasted chili paste with coconut milk (or whole milk) until fully blended and set it aside.
  4. Add water to the pot and turn on medium-high to high heat until boiling (you can also use the leftover shells and shrimp heads to make a delicious broth instead of using plain water – simply add them to the water, bring to boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Then strain and use this liquid as the base for your soup).
  5. Add galangal, lemongrass, and shallots to boil for about 5 minutes or until you start to smell the aroma of the lemongrass and galangal.
  6. Put in mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, mixed roasted chilli paste and coconut milk (from no. 3). Stir and wait until it boils for a few minutes.
  7. Add the shrimps into boiling water. Do not stir. Wait until they turn pink (please do not let the shrimps cook too long because they will get shrink and get tough).
  8. Turn off the heat, put in the shredded kaffir lime leaves. Season to taste with smashed fresh chili, lime juice, sugar, salt, and fish sauce.
  9. Scoop the soup into the serving bowl, sprinkle with spiny coriander leaves and serve hot.

You can certainly add more chili if you like things a bit hotter, I have had Tom Yum Goong here in Thailand that is so hot it makes you sweat.  And yes, it is still just as delicious when the heat is turned up like this!  To make the meal a bit more filling serve with jasmine rice (that’s how it’s done in Thailand), using the rice as a plate of sorts for the soup ingredients and broth. And maybe start off your authentic Thai meal with some delicious spring rolls.

Thai Tom Yum Goong is a soup you'll want to come back to again and again as an exotic SE Asian delight.

Thai Spring Rolls Recipe

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Spring rolls are an amazing little appetizer. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who doesn’t like them, and unlike their heavier cousins the egg roll, these spring rolls are light and fresh, a pleasure to crunch into with or without a slightly spicy plum dipping sauce.

Spring rolls are cruncy and fresh.

I first encountered spring rolls in, of all places, Disney at the Chinese pavilion in Epcot. I was immediately hooked and when it came time for dessert I ordered another round of spring rolls. Yeah, they were that delicious.

Since then I’ve had any number of spring rolls, both in the U.S. and in SE Asia. While these little treats are Chinese in origin, you can find them all over SE Asia and they are ubiquitous in Thailand, where you will find street vendors selling them all over Bangkok.

The following recipe for spring rolls was developed by my wife Golf when we lived in Pennsylvania. Needless to say it was difficult (impossible actually) to find anything similar, so she took the initiative to make up her own. They have evolved over time, and have become one of the favorites not just for our family, but for a myriad of strangers.

You see, each year we have a community yard sale, and being Thai Golf was all for making some extra money by selling stuff on the street as it were. So she decided to sell spring rolls, certainly a product that wouldn’t be in over supply. From the very first year they were a huge hit, competing very successfully with the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs to be found in profusion. Every year we’ve been there selling spring rolls we go through several hundred, and even have some folks buy them in bulk to freeze and enjoy later. They do freeze very well by the way. We even have repeat customers who come looking for our spring rolls each year. I say “our” because Golf rolls the spring rolls, but I am responsible for frying them up and ensuring a constant and fresh supply.

Now, you won’t have to travel to our little community yard sale, or Bangkok, to get authentic spring rolls. With this recipe you can make them at home and become the Asian cuisine hero for all your friends and family.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Thai Spring Rolls Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai/Chinese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10-12
 
Spring rolls are a favorite recipe at any Chinese restaurant, but this Thai take on spring rolls will have you craving more.
Ingredients
  • Spring rolls wrappers - 1 pack
  • ¼ pound ground pork (optional)
  • ¼ pound bean sprouts (optional)
  • 4 cups finely shredded cabbage
  • ¾ cup finely shredded carrot
  • ¼ pound vermicelli noodle (mung bean noodles), soaked in room temperature water for 15-20 minutes and cut to 3-4 inches in length
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup Flour (any kind)
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Mix ground pork, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, garlic, and vermicelli noodle into the mixing bowl. I usually mix them by hand because the ingredients will be combined better that way.
  2. Add egg into the bowl and mix it through roughly.
  3. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper.
  4. Heat the flour with a little bit of water over medium heat. Stir until the flour gets thick. You will use it as a glue to close the wrappers.
  5. Prepare to wrap. Use the flat space or cutting board as the surface.
  6. Prepare to roll. Lay the spring roll wrapper onto flat surface in diamond shape sized way. Add the finished stuffing onto the wrap (usually about 1-2 tablespoons – and you don’t want to put too much of the stuffing on because when you wrap you need to wrap it tight so the stuffing is not falling apart or breaking while you fry them). Push the stuffing toward near the end of the corner and start to roll. Then fold both; left and right sides, then roll, and lightly finish it by using a tip of your finger to smear the thickened flour mixture at the corner and tighten it up.
  7. Once wrapping is done heat oil in the pain on medium-high heat. Fry them to crisp and golden brown.
  8. Serve with spring rolls dipping sauce.
  9. Tip: my secret spring roll recipe is I usually don’t stir fry the stuffing like anyone else and just let everything cook in the oil all at once – this will allow natural flavor to stand out and leave all the juice from cabbage and carrot in the roll.

That’s the spring rolls.  Now you need a sweet and spicy dipping sauce and while you could buy a bottled sauce, you’ll find the sauce below to be vastly superior, plus you can adjust the heat of the sauce to your liking.
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Thai Spicy Plum Sauce Recipe
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Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Sweet and spicy plum sauce for dipping small bites.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • ⅝ cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3 Salted plum squeezed, seedless and minced
  • 1 tablespoon plum juice
  • 3 tablespoons spicy chili sauce
  • 1-2 small fresh Chili cut on the bias
Instructions
  1. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, salted plum, and plum juice in the pot.
  2. Preheat the ingredients over high heat until it boils then turn the heat down to low.
  3. Simmer until the sauce is thick then remove from heat.
  4. Add spicy chili sauce and fresh chili, mix well, and serve.

Thai Spring Rolls will rock your world.

Tacos al Pastor Recipe (Substitute for El Fogon)

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Realistic Tacos al Pastor with no need to travel to Mexico.I didn’t learn about the sublime attractions of tacos al pastor until the ripe old age of 42. It’s a shame I missed out all those years, but I am much better now for having experienced this sublime Mexican dish.

To be honest I could have learned about this dish 2 years earlier, having planned a trip to Cozumel, but the fates intervened and sent a hurricane that pretty much wiped out the island, sending me instead to Thailand (a long time favorite of mine). Since I met my wife on that trip the delay in meeting up with tacos al pastor actually turned out to be a blessing.

When we finally did make it to Mexico in 2009 the anticipation for this dish was at a raging high. I had read about it, looked at the food porn, and couldn’t wait for my introduction. It was definitely worth waiting for. Marinated pork is cooked on a vertical rotisserie along with fresh pineapple and thin melt in your mouth slices are carved to order, served on freshly grilled corn tacos with the fresh crunch of onions and cilantro. It is that simple, and like so many simple dishes is an amazing medley of flavors on your palate. In fact, we spent so much time at the top Playa del Carmen tacqueria that they took our picture an immortalized it on Facebook. I have to agree with the words they added, but you’ll have to click the link to see it yourself.

Needless to say this recipe is nearly impossible to recreate at home, especially when you live on the other side of the world. Even so, I was not to be denied. I would be happy to fly down to Playa del Carmen twice a year to experience these little slices of heaven if I lived in the U.S., but from Thailand it is a bit too much of a financial burden, even for tacos al pastor. So, I created a recipe that isn’t a substitute really, but does put the cravings on the back burner for a little while.

So, until such time as I can get back to Playa del Carmen here’s a make at home recipe for tacos al pastor that’s sure to please.

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Tacos al Pastor Recipe (Substitute for El Fogon)
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Realistic Tacos al Pastor with no need to travel to Mexico.
Ingredients
  • 2 whole ancho chilies, seeds and stems removed
  • 2 whole pasilla or guajillo chilies, seeds and stems removed
  • ½ cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 1 tablespoon achiote powder or paste (can use 1 tsp paprika)
  • 1 chipotle chili packed in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons sauce from can
  • ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
  • 3 whole cloves garlic
  • 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 pounds boneless blade-end loin or sirloin pork roast or collar
  • 1 large pineapple
  • Tortilla shells (preferably corn, but wheat will work as well)
  • Chopped onion (for garnish)
  • Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
  • Queso fresco (for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Heat the chicken stock and add the ancho chiles, pasilla chiles and raisins. Soak for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Pour chicken stock mixture into blender and add the rest of the ingredients (except the pork & pineapple). Blend until combined and smooth.
  3. Pour marinade over pork in bowl or ziplock bag and marinate unrefrigerated for 2 hours or refrigerated for 4-6 hours.
  4. Clean pineapple and slice into 1" thick slices. Remove core and grill pineapple.
  5. Grill pork.
  6. Heat tortilla shells in lightly oiled pan.
  7. Slice pork thinly and slice pineapple into small dice.
  8. Place about 2 ounces of sliced pork with ½ ounce pineapple on two offset tortillas.
  9. Top with chopped onions, chopped cilantro and queso fresco.
  10. If you want you can also add pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole.

As you can see, the recipe is kind of free form, but the original includes just the pork and pineapple with chopped onions, chopped cilantro and queso fresco.  If you don’t have queso fresco available any fresh cheese will do and I will post a recipe for making your own cheese at home in the future (it’s pretty damn easy).  Try these at home, but be warned that once you do you’ll need to make a pilgrimage to Mexico for the real thing.

Nearly authentic taco al pastor.

 

Guacamole Recipe

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Guacamole, the ultimate avacado dip.

Guacamole (or guac as we call it in my house) has to be the second most recognizable Mexican food. The first is certainly tortillas, though now that I think about it tacos are probably more popular than tortillas, at least for non-Mexicans.  But I digress…this post is all about making an excellent guacamole that all your family and friends will love, and if you already have pico de gallo on hand you can make this guac recipe in just minutes.

While this isn’t as good as the guac I’ve had in the real Mexico, it is better than anything you’ll get in the store or out at a chain restaurant.  With it being so easy to make, and so good for you, why not make up a batch tonight?  You can even use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, so any leftovers (highly unlikely) will get used up fast.  If you do need to save the guac overnight simply press your cling wrap into the dip so there is no air contact, this will keep the guac from becoming discolored.

It’s good that I already had this made and photographed because as soon as I posted the pico de gallo on Facebook I had requests for guacamole.  I guess it does help to be prepared sometimes.

Oh, if you’re Thai you might not like this recipe.  My wife often takes leftovers with her to work for her co-workers to try, and this is the only thing she’s ever taken that they not only didn’t rave about, but said unanimously that they downright didn’t like.  There’s no accounting for taste :)

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Guacamole
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Guacamole is the easily recognizable Mexican dip made from avocado that is both delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients
  • 3 Haas avocados, seeded and peeled
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup pico de gallo recipe
  • If you don't have the pico de gallo on hand and don't feel like making it (I have no idea why you wouldn't), then add the following ingredients instead:
  • ½ medium red onion, diced
  • 2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Instructions
  1. Cut avocados in half, remove seeds and scoop the flesh from the skin and into a bowl. Add lime juice and toss to coat. This will keep the avocado from turning brown quickly. Once the avocado is coated remove th excess lime juice and reserve.
  2. Add salt and cumin and mash the avocados lightly with a fork or potato masher. You want the avocado to remain chunky.
  3. Fold in the pico de gallo, or if not using then fold in the other ingredients.
  4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours (covered with cling wrap pressed into the guacamole).
  5. Eat with corn chips, slathered in tacos or tortillas, on top of salad, or on your favorite sandwich. Or simply spoon it into your greedy mouth!

That’s all there is to making a smashing good guacamole that all your family and friends will rave about…unless they’re Thai.  Make it tonight and enjoy!

Quick and awesome guacamole recipe

Pico de Gallo (Fresh Salsa)

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Fresh pico de gallo - the best Mexican salsa.

 

There is something about pico de gallo that just makes it scream summer to me. Of course living here in Thailand it always feels like summer, so it is always a good time to make pico de gallo.  I’ve been making this recipe since college and have made small changes over the years, but it remains basically the same. Truthfully the allure of good pico de gallo is in the freshness of the ingredients. It is one recipe that truly demonstrates that as cooks we don’t really need to manipulate ingredients so much as simply showcasing them and letting them shine all by themselves.

You’ll note that I haven’t included much in the way of heat in the recipe.  If you don’t like spicy foods this basic recipe will work great for you. If you’re like me however, and love the heat and spiciness of chili feel free to add more jalepeno or simply use a hotter variety of chili. Personally I use Thai bird chili’s when making this recipe (they are plentiful and cheap here) and will use anywhere from 10-15 chili’s (including seeds).

You will find this fresh salsa is a must when having Mexican food, but it will also work well as a simple dip for chips or even as a topping for bruschetta, though in that case you might want to omit the chili and substitute fresh basil for the cilantro.

I’ve made this as a beginning to the blog because it so simple to make, I consider it to be a staple recipe, and I’ve been craving Mexican food.  Not much of that available here in Thailand, even in a city as large and diverse as Bangkok. And since Mexico is so far away a vacation there isn’t in the cards for some time.

This is so quick and simple to make, just give it a try and let me know what you think.

 

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Pico de Gallo (Fresh Salsa)
Author: 
Recipe type: Salsa
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-4
 
Fresh light and delicious, pico de gallo goes with nearly any Mexican dish, can be eaten as a salsa, or can even be used to top bruschetta.
Ingredients
  • 4 medium tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
  • ½ red onion (chopped)
  • 2-3 jalepeno's (chopped - remove seeds if you don't want the heat)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1-2 TBSP fresh lime juice (to taste)
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1tsp salt (or to taste)
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Peel seed and chop tomato's. For easier peeling drop tomato's in boiling water for 10 seconds. Place in bowl
  2. Peel and chop red onion. Place in bowl.
  3. Chop jalepeno's (remove seeds first if you don't like a lot of heat) and place in bowl.
  4. Chop cilantro and add to bowl.
  5. Mix to combine.
  6. Add lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  7. Mix again to combine well.
  8. Pico de gallo can be eaten immediately or place in refrigerator. Flavors will develop for up to 8 hours, but the salsa begins to break down after this.

 
Pico de gallo together with tacos, a winning combination.