Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [32]
SERVES 4
To prepare the salad, combine all of its ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the prawns, preheat an outdoor gas grill or an indoor grill pan to high heat. If you are working with live spot prawns, put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to numb them.
Season the prawns generously with vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Skewer them using 2 skewers spaced 1 inch apart (this keeps the prawns from spinning around and holds them flat), or spear individual prawns lengthwise (as in the photograph, opposite). Grill the prawns for about 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly charred.
Serve the grilled prawns over the crack salad and provide lots of napkins.
PAIRING: A riesling, such as Albert Mann Riesling Cuvee Albert 2006, Alsace, France; a pinot gris; or a cold light beer.
tom yum goong (spicy shrimp and lemongrass soup)
2 tablespoons peanut or other
high-heat vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut into small
dice (about 1 cup)
½ small carrot, cut into small
dice (about ⅓ cup)
2 ribs celery, cut into small
dice
1 pound shrimp, peeled and
deveined,20 shells reserved
5 to 6 cups water
3 tomatoes, cut into medium
dice, or 1 (14-ounce) can
diced tomatoes with their
juice
6 Kaffir lime leaves,18 or zest of
1 lime (about 1 teaspoon)
6 thin slices peeled fresh
galangal19 or ginger
2 jalapeños, halved (remove
seeds and membranes if you
desire a milder soup)
½ cup sliced shallots
3 stalks lemongrass, woody
top half discarded, cut into
1-inch pieces
3 ounces cremini or button
mushrooms, sliced ½-inch
thick (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons freshly
squeezed lime juice (about
2 limes)
Salt
Whole cilantro leaves, for
garnish
I was lucky enough to spend a month touring Thailand, eating my way through trains, outdoor markets, hole-in-the-wall wok stands, and little tucked-away places. What stands out for me is the way Thai cuisine is perfectly balanced between salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter. The food in Thailand can be very hot. The weather in Thailand can be very hot. One thing that is not so hot in Thailand is a perspiring, red-faced woman like myself in need of rice to put out the fire in my mouth from the tom yum goong. This version has been rated WGS: white girl safe.
SERVES 4
Set a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil, and when it is hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn the heat to high, add the shrimp shells, and sauté until they are lightly browned, about 2 minutes (browning the shells at high heat gives the shrimp stock its distinctive flavor). Add the water to the pot (if you are using canned tomatoes, pour off the juice, measure it, then add enough water to total 6 cups). Add the Kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and jalapeños and bring to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and set aside. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and lemongrass and sauté until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and reserved stock. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer, and add the fish sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat (the residual heat will fully cook the shrimp).
Add the lime juice. Season to taste with salt, and add more fish sauce if necessary. It’s very important to taste the soup at this point and make sure it is balanced. If it is flat, add more lime juice. A bit of sugar or honey can balance any excess tartness, spiciness, or bitterness.
Serve the soup garnished