Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy-Day 20

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a safe one. I was ready to go back and cook today after two days off! Only two more days left. It’s kind of a bitter sweet thought. I’m excited to go back home and see my family and friends but I have loved the lifestyle here…and ALL the walking. I have to say, I thought I would have gained 10 pounds by now but I finally got a mechanical scale (cause it was cheap) and it says I’m the same weight (actually a little less) as when I left home. So, I guess I will see how accurate the scale is once I get home and weigh myself :). I’m hoping it’s not too much off :).

Some of the new ingredients I worked with today included green mango, whole origin mushroom, and dry white mushroom (kind of looks like a white coral reef). The dry white mushroom was interesting. The texture was crunchy and chewy…I liked the taste but the texture was kind of weird, like crunching on real thin cartilage. My Station today:

Today Chef Ratch showed us how to cook:

• Stuffed cucumber soup (Gaeng Jued Tang Gua Yud Sai)
• Deep fried fish with green mango salad (Pla Grapong Tord Nam Pla)
• Thai fried rice (Khao Pad)
• Mixed mushroom salad (Yam Hed)
• Crispy Lotus Blossom (Khanom Dok Jok)

The fried fish is good, as usual, but my top two today were the stuffed cucumber soup and the Thai style fried rice. I was surprised with the soup…so easy to make yet soooo flavorful for cooking up in about 15 minutes. I think I will stuff some zucchini next time, instead of cucumber. The cucumber works, but thought it would even be better with zucchini. That being said, I am going to choose the Thai style fried rice. It was very easy to make and had a clean taste…not too mush soy sauce or anything to make it heavy.

For the Thai style fried rice, you will need:

• 3 shrimp, deveined
• 3/4 cup steamed rice (use cold rice)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 roma tomato, seeds removed and sliced into small wedges
• 1/2 of a medium onion, sliced or cubed
• 2 stalks kale, cut in 1″ cuts
• 1/4 of a carrot, small cubes
• 1 stalk spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 slice of lime (for garnish to use when you eat)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or fish sauce
• 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar
• pinch of pepper powder
• pinch of salt (if needed)
• 1-2 bird’s eye chili’s (green and red), chopped thinly
• 1-2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 lime, juiced

Steps:

1. Heat oil in wok and add garlic and onion and cook for 20 seconds
2. Add Shrimp (or you can substitute thin slices of chicken if you prefer) and stir fry until shrimp are nearly cooked then push all to the side of the wok
3. Add egg to the wok and when cooked break it up with your wok utensil and add the kale and carrots and stir
4. Add the oyster and soy sauces, sugar, and then rice and stir well to break up the rice.
5. Add green onions and tomato and stir then add pinch of pepper
6. Taste to make sure you do not need any more seasoning such as salt or other sauces.
7. Serve with chili fish sauce by mixing the 2 chopped chili’s, fish sauce and lime juice.

And pictures of the rest of the dishes:

Okay, that is it for today. Two more days to go! Catch you tomorrow!