#prawns

Merry Cursemas

Down a long dusty road; you’ll find the seaside town of Kep.
The aroma of salty ocean mist, Kampot pepper, and BBQ shellfish mingle.

Spicy Garlic Prawns

Gaeng Som must be one of the few ‘curries’ I’ve yet to touch on; my preference for Northern and Central Thai cuisine means I often overlook dishes from South Thailand, perhaps unfairly. To this end today’s recipe and the next will focus on southern Thai food.

Gaeng Som is more soup like than other curries and has a simple and aromatic paste making it an easy dish to pull off. It’s sourness comes from a combination of tamarind paste and lime juice. Any combination of crunchy vegetables can feature in a gaeng som but keeping it traditional, I’ve just used bamboo shoots. A popular addition; acacia omelette (kai jeow cha om) helps to provide a pleasing textural contrast and soaks up some of the broth.

For 4 small bowls use:

• 200g peeled prawns
• 200g of drained and rinsed bamboo shoots, sliced
• 50ml of taramind concentrate
• juice of 1 lime
• small handful of peeled Thai shallots
• small handful of dried red chillies
• 4 or 5 fingers of krachai (galingale) chopped
• 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste
• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• a big splash of fish sauce

and for the accompanying acacia omelette follow

this recipe

Begin by making the acacia (cha om) omelette, cutting it into squares and keeping warm while you make the curry.

Make the curry paste by pounding the dried red chillies, shallots, shrimp paste and krachai in a mortar, working it until you have a well blended red paste. The krachai will be one of the predominant flavours of the dish whilst the chillies give it it’s orangey/red colour.

Boil the chicken stock in a large pan and pop in all the prepared paste, mixing well. Turn down the heat to a simmer.

Add in the bamboo shoots and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the tamarind and fish sauces.

Next in go the prawns- 3 minutes or so for raw, 1-2 for pre-cooked.

Finally squeeze in the lime juice, give everything a final quick stir and stir with freshly cooked rice.

Serve the acacia omelette both in and on the side of your gaeng som.

This light and tasty Grapefruit, Prawn and Feta Salad makes an excellent and refreshing lunch on a sunny day. Perfect after a spot of gardening or flower-picking. Have a good one!

Ingredients (serves 1):

• ½ tablespoon linseed oil
• ½ tablespoon pure raw honey
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• a pinch of salt
• ½ lemon
• a dozen cooked (boiled or steamed) prawns, cooled
• a small Green Onion
• ½ cup broad beans
• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, rinsed
• ½ pink grapefruit
• 15 grams/½ ounce Feta Cheese

In a medium bowl, combine linseed oil andhoney. Add black pepper and just a pinch of salt. Give a good stir, to combine. Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve. Whisk until well-blended.

Peel the prawnsand add them to the bowl.

Finely chop Green Onion, and add to the bowl as well, saving a bit of the chopped green part, for garnish. Toss well to coat prawnsindressing. Place in the refrigerator, and chill, for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile,

Retrieve the prawnsfrom the refrigerator. Peel broad beans, and add to the bowl. Toss to combine and coat in dressing.

Roughly chop lettuceand add to the bowl. Scoop grapefruit flesh with a spoon, and add to the bowl as well. Toss gently, to mix.

Spoonsaladinto serving plate. Crumble Fetaon top, and sprinkle with reserved chopped green part of the Green Onion.

EnjoyGrapefruit, Prawn and Feta Salad with a glass of chilled dry white wine, like a South African Chardonnay or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.