Beef Lok Lak
Siem Reap is a beautiful city in northwestern Cambodia, the center of the Khmer region and my first stop after departing Thailand. From the 9th to 15th century, the Khmer Empire built the temples that are now known as the ruins of Angkor. On the first full day in Cambodia, my travel companions and I arose at 4.30am in order to make it to the main temple of Angkor Wat for sunrise. Although a decidedly “touristy” thing to do, the silhouette of the temple, cast against the peach-hombre sky, will stay emblazoned on my mind for some time to come.
Siem Reap also afforded me my first taste of Cambodian cuisine, known colloquially as Khmer food. The cuisine has much in common with other southeast Asian countries and is based primarily on rice, pork, chicken and some beef as well as fish, prawns and even frogs. Coconuts, limes, palm sugar, black pepper, lemongrass, garlic, shallots and chillies provide fragrance and depth of flavour. One of the most readily available dishes of the region, which can be found in restaurants as well as in the home, is Lok Lak. A simple stir fried meat dish, it is served over a salad with a typical lime pepper dressing. This is a great introduction to Khmer cooking as all of the ingredients are readily available at home.
I have adapted the recipe slightly, as I tend not to like hot salads, as the vegetables often wilt and lose their customary crunch. Instead I am simply serving the Lok Lak, slightly cooled, in a hardier gem lettuce leaf cup. This can then be dipped into the lime pepper sauce before being gobbled up. Use your own favourite cut of beef, but remember it is being cooked quickly and must be tender, so a sirloin or something similar works best.
Level: easy
Skills: marinade, stir-frying
Time: 40 minutes
Makes: Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
Stir fry:
400g beef, cut into small cubes
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1tsp sugar
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp black pepper
3tbsp soy sauce
100-120ml water
1tbsp sugar
1tsp cornflour
Pinch salt
Oil to fry
Lime Pepper Sauce:
4tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2tbsp water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1tsp sugar
1tsp fish sauce
1tsp freshly crushed black pepper
1 birds eye chilli, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
To serve:
Approx 12 gem lettuce leaves
A small bunch coriander
1 spring onion, sliced
Method
1. Mix together the beef, garlic, sugar, oyster sauce and black pepper. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Mix the lime pepper sauce ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
3. Blend the soy sauce, water, sugar and cornflour together.
4. Arrange the gem lettuce leaves on a large platter.
5. In a frying pan, over a high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. When smoking hot, add the beef and quickly stir fry about 30 seconds.
6. Add the soy sauce mixture and allow to boil and reduce to a thick sauce, about 1-2 mins.
7. Spoon some of the beef into each lettuce leaf cup and drizzle over some sauce. Top with fresh coriander and the spring onion.
8. Serve immediately with a bowl of lime pepper sauce for dipping.
Destination #43 / Siem Reap, Cambodia
Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Bangkok was my next destination and was equally full of culture and architectural beauty; the reclining Buddha and the Grand Palace particularly stand out. But unlike Chiang Mai, which operated at a relatively sedate pace, my 48 hours in Bangkok was frantic. For this reason, I did what the locals do and enjoyed the majority of my food on the go, enjoying the best of Thai street food.
Sweet Chilli Sauce has become a popular condiment the world over, but in Bangkok it is served with everything. Like most things however, the best versions are always freshly made. I have recently posted a run of recipes that are fairly time consuming and include ingredients that may not always be easily available, so for this entry I am posting something that ticks all the boxes: cheap, quick, easy and a real crowd-pleaser.
This recipe produces just less than a jar full of sauce, so enjoy it while it lasts. For those who want to consume more slowly, the vinegar and sugar ensure that it can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks in an air tight container.
Level: low
Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 1 small jar
Ingredients
60ml water
60ml white vinegar
100g caster sugar
1/4tsp salt
2 standard red chillis, deseeded
2 red birds eye chillis with seeds
Method
1. Chop the chillies finely.
2. Add to a small saucepan with the other ingredients and stir.
3. Bring to the boil, then immeadiately reduce to a low temperature and cook for 20 minutes until thickened.
Destination #42 / Bagkok, Thailand
Khao Soi Gai (Curry Noodle Soup)
From Malaysia it was on to Thailand and my first stop of Chiang Mai. My itinerary for South East Asia is generally pretty open and so I came here on the recommendation of many of my travelling buddies. My friends give good advice…
Chiang Mai is a beautiful and culturally important spot in northern Thailand. Whilst there I visited many of the outrageously decorated temples, that somehow manage to look beautiful when really they should appear gauche. I also made a trip to an elephant retirement park. The work these guys do is so important in helping to protect these majestic creatures. At the park we fed, massaged and cleaned the elephants, it was a real privilege and the work is both sustainable and ethical. I won’t lecture too much here, but riding elephants is not cool – do your research!
Of the many delicious local delicacies I tried, one stood out for not only being unique to the region but also being something new to me. Khao Soi, is a beautifully rich, spicy and aromatic curry soup served over tender poached chicken and noodles. The tradition of serving crunchy fried noodles on top is a must if you want to emulate the whole gamut of textures as well as flavours. While we enjoyed this for breakfast, I can confidently say that this meal could be enjoyed at any time and is great for a dinner party, where you can make the curry north ahead of time.
Level: medium
Skills: curry paste, deep frying
Time: 2 hours (including 1 hour cooking time)
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 whole red birds eye chilli
2 small shallots, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass, roughly chopped
1 lime, zest only
2cm fresh turmeric, roughly chopped
2cm fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2tbsp chopped coriander stalks (save the leaves for garnish or use in another recipe)
1tsp coriander seeds
1 green cardamom, seeds only
1tsp fish sauce
100ml vegetable oil
300g egg noodles, cooked and cooled
1x 420g can coconut milk
500ml low-sodium chicken stock
2tbsp palm sugar (light soft brown sugar is a suitable substitue)
460g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1tsp fish sauce
Sliced shallots, lime wedges and beansprouts for serving
Method
1. Place the chilli, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, lime zest, turmeric, ginger, coriander stalks, coriander seeds and cardamom seeds in the center of a 20-20cm square of strong foil. Gather the edges together to make a tight pouch.
2. Place the pouch directly over the low flame of a gas hob and heat for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally. If using an electric hob, place the pouch in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the aromatics to a blender, along with the salt and fish sauce. Blitz to a fine paste.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan, until shimmering. Seperate out around 100g of the noodles and fry them in batches. Keep them moving with a slotted spoon and remove to a paper towel lined plate when golden and crisp.
5. Discard all but 1tbsp of the oil. Skim the cream off the top of the coconut milk and add to the pan along with the curry paste. Cook for about 2 minutes until aromatic and the oil separates.
6. Slowly add the remains of the coconut milk stirring all the time, followed by the chicken stock and sugar.
7. Add the chicken thighs and adjust temperature to a very gentle simmer (any hotter and the coconut can split).
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the chicken is cooked through.
9. Divide the remaining cooked noodles between each bowl. Then add a poached chicken thigh and ladle over the curry broth.
10. Top with the crispy fried noodles and a selection of garnishes.
Destination #41 / Chiang Mai, Thailand
Otak Otak (Steamed Fish Dumplings)
As much as I enjoyed the food, I was particularly struck by the generosity of the people of Malaysia – from the tour guide who extended my street food tour by an hour when he found out I was a food teacher, to the local family who invited me to sit with them in a shady spot in their front garden and gave me chilled bottled water. Then there was an elderly lady who heard my english accent and invited me to sit and share her chicken satay, so she might practice her english language skills. And then there was the staff of the local cookery school who shared with me not just the the four recipes I learnt at the class, but an additional eight that I had shown interest in. They also allowed me to share my favourite recipe with you here.
Otak Otak are a delicate fish dumpling, traditionally steamed in a banana leaf pouch. The dumpling itself is incredibly soft, so a firm white fish, cut into chunks, provides a subtle but necessary textural contrast. The dumpling also allows many of the ubiquitous Malay ingredients to shine, including lemongrass, tamarind and coconut. The aroma of the dish is almost as wonderful as the flavour. Sweetly pungent, sour, tangy, rich, fresh, herbal, spicy, citrusy – there aren’t enough adjectives in the world to adequately describe it. Why not try for yourself?
Level: medium
Skills: spice paste, steaming
Time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 dumplings
Ingredients
2 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped
2 standard red chillis, deseeded
3 banana shallots, peeled and quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4tsp cumin powder
1/4tsp coriander
1/4tsp fenugreek
160g white fish, skinned and de-boned
2tbsp coconut milk
1tsp tamarind paste
1 kafir lime leaf, shredded or 1/2tsp lime zest
1/2tsp salt
1/4tsp sugar
Method
1. Place the lemongrass, chillis and shallots into a blender and blitz to a paste. Alternatively you can use a pestle and mortar.
2. Add the spice paste to the egg, then add the dry spices and whisk to combine.
3. Cut the fish into small cubes of around 2cm. Add to the spice mixture and stir carefully.
4. Finally add the coconut milk, tamarind, lime leaf/zest and seasoning.
5. Cut out eight squares of foil approximately 15x15cm. (Traditionally, banana leaf is used instead and looks fantastic, so substitute here if you can find some).
6. Spoon an eighth of the fish mixture into the centre of the foil. Fold up sides and affix with a cocktail stick.
7. When the parcels are complete, place them in a steamer over a pan of gently boiling water. Steam for 10 minutes.
Bubur Lambuk Ayam (Rice Porridge with Chicken)
Due to some boring travel-related beauracracy, that I won’t go in to here, I found myself arriving in Malaysia with the knowledge that I would be stuck in Kuala Lumpur for the full six days. Compared to my usual itinerary – that’s quite a long stay! I quickly decided the best way was to take this as an opportunity to investigate the local food culture in more depth than usual.
I was rewarded with a plethora of exciting new taste experiences. Malay food is influenced by traditional cuisine, as well as Chinese and Indian, so there was a lot to explore. For me some of the most outstanding elements were the sauces. I tried fragrant satay sauce that ranks so far above anything we can find in the UK that I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for us. Similarly, the sambal, was a gloriously rich and spicily complex sauce the likes of which I have never tasted at home.
Another enjoyably facet of my first foray into South East Asia was the breakfasts. Whilst satisfyingly robust, the dishes were often delicatey spiced and based on rice or noodles. Pork and chicken featured heavily. Culturally this is very different to western food, where foods like this are for more likely to be consumed for lunch. My favourite of all of these was Bubur Lambuk, a warming soup-like porridge of rice in a luscious scented broth. The version I had was punctuated with century egg, but here I am using simple hard boiled eggs in there place. Chicken provides additional protein and texture, while a wide array of optional garnishes add much needed colour and freshness.
Level: medium
Skills: tempering spices
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
100g white rice (rinse and clean)
300g chicken meat, finely chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1 banana shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm ginger root, grated
1 stalk of lemongrass, ends removed
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1tsp coriander seeds
1tbsp butter
1tbsp oil
800ml water
50ml coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Optional garnishes
– Crispy fried shallots
– Parsley
– Spring onions
– Red chilli
– Soy sauce
– White pepper
Method
1. Heat up the cooking oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Sauté the garlic, onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and coriander until aromatic.
4. Add in the rice and water; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a medium simmer. After 15 minutes remove the star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and clove (or else they will overpower the other flavours).
6. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft and the consistency of porridge. This will take a further 15-30 minutes.
7. When ready, add the raw chicken and poach until opaque and cooked through.
8. Add coconut milk into the porridge and season to taste.
9. Quarter the hard boiled eggs and stir through gently.
10. When all the ingredients are mixed together, you can serve the porridge garnished with fried shallots, parsley, spring onions and red chilli.
Destination #40 / Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mastication / Destination 