Fried Shallot Oil Naam Man Hom Daeng Recipes

FRIED SHALLOT OIL (NAAM MAN HOM DAENG)

Steps:

• Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl. Set aside. Pour oil into a shallow pan a half-inch high. Set pan over high heat until oil is lightly bubbling, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the shallots by peeling, slicing in half, then thinly slicing with the grain into a julienne. When the oil is bubbling, turn heat to low and add the shallots and stir. Don't be tempted to rush the process with high heat: cook, stirring and scraping the sides occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle sizzle, 5-10 minutes.
• When the oil stops bubbling and the shallots are starting to brown but still look raw, turn off heat. The residual heat will continue cooking the shallots. Continue stirring and flipping the shallots until they are a deep golden brown and crispy, another 1-2 minutes. Pour shallot oil through the strainer, reserving the flavorful oil. Gently shake the strainer to remove as much oil as possible, then transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain and cool in an even layer. As they cool down, they'll crisp up. Note: Fried shallots can be stored a container, uncovered, at room temperature up to 2 days. Alternatively, store with a silica gel packet (available on Amazon) in an airtight container; shallots will stay fresh several weeks. Shallot oil can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature indefinitely. Makes about ¼ cup fried shallots and ½ cup shallot oil.

TAMARIND DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• To a small saucepan, add water, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Add chile powder; whisk to break up the palm sugar and tamarind pulp. Continue cooking on a low simmer, 5-8 minutes. Pour dipping sauce into a bowl and cool to room temperature. Makes about 1½ cups. You can store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for weeks.

THAI PORK RIBS (SII KHRONG MUU TAI NAAM)

Steps:

• Paste: Prepare ingredients to make the paste. Peel and thinly slice galangal and turmeric; thinly slice cilantro roots. Trim lemongrass stems, then discard tough outer layers; slice into thin coins. Slice chiles into ½-inch pieces. Peel garlic cloves, then roughly chop.
• Place the mortar and pestle on a towel to keep it sturdy. Chef Ricker advises adding ingredients from hardest to softest texture when making a paste. Place dried chiles into the mortar along with a pinch of salt; pound until chiles are flaky. Add peppercorns and continue pounding, followed by galangal, turmeric, and cilantro root. As the ingredients are added, a rough paste will begin to form. Continue by adding lemongrass, garlic, and green chiles. When all of the ingredients have broken down to a rough pulp, the paste is ready. Makes about ⅓ cup.
• Ribs: Place rack meat-side down on a cutting board. Cut into individual ribs and place in a bowl. Stack lime leaves, roll like a cigar, slice very thinly (this is called a chiffonade), and set aside. Season ribs with a pinch of salt, fish sauce, sugar, and MSG (optional); toss to coat with your hands. Add the paste and 1 teaspoon sliced lime leaf, reserving the rest for garnish, and massage the ingredients into the ribs until they're evenly coated. Let rest uncovered at room temperature, 1 hour.
• Add oil to a pot over medium-high heat; when it's smoking, add ribs meat-side down in an even layer. Turn heat to medium-low (to prevent paste from burning) and brown the ribs, 6-8 minutes.
• While ribs are browning, add 5 pounds ice cubes to the bowl, along with enough water to cover the ice. When ribs are browned, turn them over and reduce heat to low. Place the bowl with ice slurry on the pot so it completely seals off the top. The steam will rise and condense on the cold surface of the bowl, then drip back onto the ribs, creating a self-basting cooking environment.
• Garnish: While ribs are cooking, trim and thinly slice the scallion. Roughly chop cilantro. Fold sawtooth leaves in half and julienne into ⅛-inch slices. Mix together scallion, cilantro, and sawtooth and set aside, along with remaining lime leaf.
• After 15 minutes, remove bowl from pot and turn the ribs over. Pour out melted ice slurry and replenish with another 5 lbs ice cubes and water. Add a pinch of salt to the ice water to keep it cold a little longer. Place bowl over pot and continue cooking, 15 more minutes.
• After 30 minutes of total cooking, remove the bowl. Continue cooking ribs uncovered to reduce the cooking liquid in the pot, 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt, sugar, and fish sauce; remove from heat. Place ribs on a serving platter, and spoon paste from the pot over them. Garnish with chopped herbs (scallions, cilantro, sawtooth) and lime leaves. Serve.

JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice: Place rice in a fine-mesh strainer set inside a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough cool tap water to cover the rice by an inch or two. Use your hand to gently stir the rice, 30-40 seconds; then lift the strainer from the bowl. The water in the bowl will be cloudy from the rice starch. Empty the water, set the strainer in the bowl again, and repeat the process until the water that covers the rice is mostly clear (probably two or three changes of water); the rice grains will begin to look translucent. Discard the water in the bowl; set the strainer on top and let the rice drain, about 5 minutes, gently shaking the strainer occasionally to get rid of excess water.
• Cook rice: Place the drained rice into the rice cooker in an even layer. Add 2 cups water; the level should be close to an inch above the rice (or the height of one knuckle above your forefinger). Add more water to reach this marker if necessary. Close the lid and turn rice cooker on; rice is done when indicated by the rice cooker. Once done, let the rice sit in the rice cooker with the cover on for about 15-20 minutes. Don't skip this step: it allows some of the moisture to dissipate as steam, and some to get reabsorbed into the rice. This keeps the rice from clumping and gives the grains a chance to cool slightly, so when you fluff the rice, the grains don't break apart.
• Fluff rice: Open the rice cooker and use a spoon or fork to gently separate and fluff the cooked grains. The rice will keep for several hours after fluffing in the rice cooker on the "Warm" setting. To serve, pack a small bowl with rice, level off the top, and turn it over onto a plate; lift the bowl away to uncover a tidy dome of rice. (Store leftover cooked rice in a covered container in the refrigerator, 1-2 days.)