Jan Bilton: Cut and paste for Thai deliciousness (+recipes)

Thai Beef with Fresh Basil

Kiwis love the taste of Thai and many ingredients have become part of everyday meals: red and green curry pastes, lime juice, fish sauce, shallots, chillies and fresh herbs such as basil, mint, coriander and lemon grass.

The basis of many Thai recipes is "paste". Traditionally, a pestle and mortar is used to pound chillies, fish paste, shallots, coriander root, garlic and other ingredients to a paste. Luckily we have excellent commercially prepared pastes in jars that we can add a dash of to Thai-style dishes or our old-fashioned casseroles, mashed potatoes or kumara, stir-fries, rice or pasta.

Kaffir limes have little juice and the pungent flavour of their knobbly skin - grated or julienned - is used to flavour Thai curries, dressings, sauces and even desserts. The leaves are also popular and usually very finely sliced before being added to a dish. To add flavour to rice or potatoes, I love to throw whole leaves into the cooking water.

Kaffir lime trees are readily available from garden stores. In colder climes it is best to grow them in tubs sheltered from frosts.

Chillies are easy to grow in the garden and range in flavour from mild to unbearably hot. They can be green, red, black or yellow. Many chillies are green initially, changing colour as they mature. The hotness or "capsaicin" in chillies irritates the skin so during preparation it is wise to wear rubber gloves. Seed the chillies before use if you prefer less heat. In general, the smaller the chilli, the more intense the heat.

Unfortunately, chillies tend to ripen at different times but one way of preserving them is by salting. Chop chillies finely then layer in a jar with salt. Add more chillies as they ripen.

About half a teaspoon is equal to about one medium chilli or use to taste.

RECIPES

THAI BEEF WITH FRESH BASIL

Take advantage of the last of the outdoor basil.

Slaw: 1 large carrot, julienned
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, sliced
1 cup basil leaves
1 tbsp each: rice bran oil, lime juice

Beef: 1 tbsp rice bran oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
500g lean minced beef
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup beef stock
2 cups basil leaves

Dressing: 2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp palm or brown sugar

To make the slaw, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
To prepare the beef, heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Stir in garlic and 1 chilli for 30 seconds. Add beef, salt and pepper, stirring with a fork to break up.

Cook until browned and almost crisp in places. Add stock and basil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Combine dressing ingredients.

Serve beef on rice with slaw on the side. Drizzle with dressing. Serves 4.

RED CURRY BAKED POTATOES

A fabulous accompaniment for grills.

4 medium potatoes
1 each: shallot, spring onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 small red capsicum, diced
2 tsp rice bran oil
1-2 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 tbsp coconut cream or coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 190C. Bake potatoes for 35 minutes or until just soft.

Meanwhile, saute shallot, spring onion, garlic and capsicum in oil, until softened. Add curry paste and cook for 30 seconds then stir in coconut cream. Simmer for 30 seconds.

Remove cooked potatoes and cool a little. Halve each one lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving a thin shell.

Mash potato flesh and combine with red curry mixture. Spoon back into shells. Reheat in oven.

Great garnished with coriander. Serves 4.

THAI-STYLE FISH CURRY

For a variation, add squid rings and/or mussels.

1 tbsp Thai green curry paste
400g can coconut cream
1/2 cup water
2 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced
1 cup sliced snake beans or peas, blanched
600g skinned and boned white fish fillets eg gurnard
1/2 cup each: sliced basil leaves, mint leaves
1-2 tbsp each: lime juice, fish sauce (or to taste)

Place curry paste in a large wok or frying pan. Whisk in 1/2 a cup of coconut cream. Slowly bring to the boil. Stir in remaining coconut cream and water.

Add lime leaves and beans and simmer for 3 minutes. Add fish and poach for about 3 minutes, until cooked.

Add herbs, lime juice and fish sauce.

Great served with jasmine rice and garnished with extra basil leaves. Serves 4.

SANKAYA FAK THONG

A traditional coconut custard cooked in a pumpkin.
1.5kg pumpkin or buttercup
4 large eggs
100g raw sugar
1 cup coconut cream

Wash and dry pumpkin. With the point of a small sharp knife, cut out stem and a small amount of skin, leaving 4-5cm diameter opening. Retain stem piece as a lid. Spoon out fibre and seeds and - if very thick - any excess pumpkin. Place pumpkin upside down on a paper towel in microwave and cook for 8-10 minutes on high. Alternatively, steam on a rack in a saucepan, until almost tender.

To prepare custard, whisk eggs and sugar in a saucepan, until light. Add coconut cream and stir well. Cook over low heat, until slightly thickened. Pour warm custard into partly cooked pumpkin and top with the stem lid.

Stand upright in a steamer, cover and cook over boiling water until custard is set and pumpkin tender, about 40 minutes. Test after 30 minutes by inserting a metal skewer through pumpkin skin into the custard. Remove steamer from heat and allow pumpkin to cool.

Place on a platter and chill overnight.
Slice into wedges to serve. Serves 10 as a dessert.