Satay Sauce with a Touch of Fire

 

Not one to be easily discouraged by my own tastebuds and refusing to believe that I no longer like shrimp (at least not all that much) I gave in to the roommate's request and made shrimp tacos for dinner last night. I managed to eat two but when I tried a shrimp on its own I spit it out. Spit it out! I think my tastebuds have made an exchange of shrimp for mushrooms and can't help but feel cheated. I mean, I am glad I now like mushrooms, but at the expense of beautiful, delicious shrimp? It's just not fair.

A woeful state, I know, but fortunately my love for peanuts is still going strong. Salted, honey-roasted, chili; butter, brittle sauce: I love peanuts in any form. I am eating some chili-coated peanuts right now. I once had a Slovenian try to convince me that peanut butter is, really, actually, quite disgusting, but he did not understand both the deep love Americans have for goobers and my own personal dedication to that modest little nut. I eat peanut butter straight from the jar (having no need for bread or crackers as a vehicle) and, if given the chance, will do the same withe satay sauce because, really, actually, it is warm, spicy peanut butter that happens to go well with noodles rather than strawberry jelly.

Tom Khaa Kai (Chicken, Coconut and Galangal Soup)

I am loving my new Thai cookbook; I haven't even bothered to read the introductory chapter because I have full-on into the recipes. And of the ones I've made, damn, they are delicious - and surprisingly simple. Take this soup: nothing to saute, brown or what-have-you, just dump your ingredients in a pot and simmer until done. Bang. Of course there are complicated recipes I've yet to tackle - and may not tackle until I get to the States - but who wants to fuss over a soup? This will have dinner (or lunch, or breakfast, if that's how you roll) on your table in less than 15 minutes, so my mind is already in step with the working people of the world.

Deep-Fried Mini Chickens

My regular readers may have noticed a slight difference in tone in my recent posts, as though I have only a passing concern for this blog - which I do. It's not that I am already tired of posting recipes but rather that I have been dealing with the aftermath of news Seth and I received during my trip to the States in December: we are leaving Kuwait in February. Oof. So my days have been filled with culling our clothes, packing up foot lockers, working to get Umberto (our cat) his export papers - plus it took me until yesterday to my body's clock on the proper time zone. When I continued to wake-up at 3am day after day I thought it would give me extra time to get my tasks (writing, cooking, packing) done, but really it just left me in a semi-conscious daze all day. Woe is me, I know.

Luckily I can still drool over my new cookbooks - and occasionally cook something from them, even if my pictures are currently lacking. How could I resist something as simple as deep-fried little birds? The recipe calls for quails, which I knew I could find if I went to a live bird market, but laziness struck me so I substituted mini chickens (which about a pound each) cut in half. The marinade is quick and delicious, with a light hint of star anise, and the chickens came out of the fryer crisp and juicy in all the right places. I used brown sugar instead of palm but all other ingredients were easy enough to find - and how often can I say that in this blog?

Want to make your own dipping sauces? Try here and here.

Deep-Fried Mini Chickens
The Food of Thailand

5 white peppercorns
5 coriander seeds
1/4tsp cumin seeds
1 star anise
2 garlic cloves
2tbsp soy sauce
1/2tsp brown sugar
2 mini chickens cut in half (or 4 quails, whole)
oil, for deep-frying
dipping sauces such as sweet chili sauce or roasted chili sauce

1. Using a pestle and mortar, pound together the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, star anise and a pinch of salt. Add the garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar to a paste.

2. Rub the paste all over the chicken halves, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or other deep pan to 350F (or until a piece of bread dropped into it sizzles and turns brown. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels. Add the chickens to the oil and deep-fry for about 10 minutes, turning them so they cook on all sides. (I had to do this in two batches in order not to over-crowd my pan.) If using whole quails, be sure the oil gets inside the birds, as well.

4. Drain well and sprinkle with a little more salt. Serve with desires dipping sauces and enjoy.