Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp

This is not your typical cloying sweet-n-sour dish, these black pepper marinated shrimp are enrobed by tamarind-lime glaze. Green beans, bell peppers, broccoli, hearty Asian greens, or other favorites can be used instead of the seasonal asparagus. When I make this for dinner I add a few minced Thai chilies for some heat, steam a pot of Jasmine Rice (page 102) and I am set for a quick meal.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 10 mins + marinating time
 Cooking time: 12 mins

12 oz (350 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons oil (divided use)

½ cup (65 g) thickly sliced shallots

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 cup (120 g) asparagus, large bite-sized pieces

3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce

2 tablespoons Tamarind Pulp or concentrate (page 25)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup (40 g) green onions (scallions), large bite-sized pieces

½ cup (75 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves

¼ cup (10 g) chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 Toss the shrimp with the fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil, then marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for longer. Marinating shrimp overnight tenderizes the shrimp.

2 Get organized to stir-fry by bringing the shrimp to room temperature and organizing all the items in the order that they will go in the skillet, this allows you to add things quickly!

3 Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet to coat the entire surface, and heat the skillet until the oil begins to smoke.

4 Stir in the shrimp, shallots, ginger, and stir-fry until the shrimp are 50% cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 minute. Cook until the shrimp and asparagus are almost cooked through.

5 Mix in the sweet chili sauce, tamarind, lime juice, and green onions, and stir until coated. Stir in the tomatoes and coriander leaves, and remove from the heat.

6 Taste and adjust seasoning with tamarind, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, or salt.

7 Spoon onto a serving platter and serve with bowls of steamed Jasmine Rice.

 
 

BBQ Fish in Red Curry Spices

Unwrapping a steaming piece of just-grilled fish is like opening a gift. I created this dish for a Fourth of July gathering. Fortunately, it’s so easy to make the packets ahead of time! When it was time to eat, I quickly grilled the aromatic red curry fish wrapped with smoky banana leaves packets then they could add the final touches by drizzling the coconut milk, coriander leaves (cilantro), and chili slices over the fish to their liking.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 15 mins + marinating time
 Cooking time: 10 mins

2 tablespoons red curry paste

¾ cup (180 ml) coconut milk (divided use)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon rice flour (substitute with cornstarch)

1 tablespoon Thai palm sugar or light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 ½ lb (750 g) fish fillets—cod, snapper, catfish—sliced into strips about ½ -inch (1.25 cm) thick

4–6 pieces banana leaves, cut into about 16-inch (40 cm) square pieces

½ cup (15 g) Thai basil leaves

¼ cup (10 g) coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 red finger-length chili, thinly sliced

2 limes, cut into wedges

1 To marinate the fish, whisk the curry paste, ½ cup (125 ml) of the coconut milk, fish sauce, rice flour, palm sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the kaffir lime leaves. Toss the fish in this mixture until coated well to ensure even seasoning.

2 To assemble the packets: On a clean work-surface, arrange a banana leaf (shiny side down) with the natural line patterns running from left to right (horizontally). Place about four Thai basil leaves in the center of the bottom ¼ of the leaf. Top the basil with 4–6 slices of fish per package, shingling them tightly. Gently, yet tightly, roll the fish in the banana leaf, creating several layers around fish. There should be about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of banana leaf extended past the fish, which you will fold over the top and towards the center, securing it with toothpicks or skewers.

3 Cook the fish on a preheated grill, griddle, or skillet over medium heat, grill the packets for 3–5 minutes on each side, until the leaf is lightly-charred and fish is cooked through. If in doubt about doneness you can use an instant read thermometer and look for 135°F/57°C reading.

4 To serve, carefully open the packets, drizzle with the remaining coconut milk and sprinkle with coriander leaves and chilies. Serve with lime wedges.

Squid with Cilantro and Mint

This dish is so simple it is best served as part of a larger meal instead of the central dish. Although cuttlefish and squid (often called calamari) are technically different cephalopods, either one can work in this recipe, here I use the more commonly found small tender squid and they cook in seconds. Using cuttlefish may require you to cut them into small slivers and then also cook them briefly so they do not get too tough.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 10 mins
 Cooking time: 5 mins

12 oz (350 g) cleaned squid, bodies cut into ½ -inch (1.25 cm) rings and tentacles into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons minced coriander stems (cilantro stems)

2–4 Thai chilies, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup (10 g) chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

½ cup (10 g) mint leaves

1 Get organized to stir-fry by bringing the squid to room temperature and organizing all the items in the order that they go in the skillet, this allows you to add things quickly! Make sure to dry the squid well so the sauce stays concentrated.

2 Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Swirl the oil in the skillet to coat the entire surface, and keep heating the skillet until very hot and the oil begins to smoke.

3 Stir fry the coriander stems, chilies, garlic, and pepper until aromatic and the garlic is beginning to become a golden brown (not dark brown), about 15 seconds.

4 Add the squid, fish sauce, and sugar and stir-fry until the squid is cooked, this is very brief, about 10–15 seconds!

5 Remove from the heat, toss in the coriander leaves and mint leaves. Spoon into a bowl.