Pei Wei Asian Diner Khao Soi Northern Thai Curry Soup Food

PEI WEI ASIAN DINER KHAO SOI (NORTHERN THAI CURRY SOUP)

Steps:

• In a sauce pan, heat soybean oil until hot. Add garlic, turmeric, and lemongrass & saute for 30 seconds. Add salt, red curry, and massaman curry then saute for 1 minute, cooking the curry paste.
• Add palm sugar, chicken stock, and coconut milk then turn heat on medium to bring to a simmer. Add fish sauce, lime leaves, and whole Thai basil bunch. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and shrimp & cook on low until chicken is just done. Use tongs to remove lime leaves & Thai basil. Add lime juice, turn off heat & reserve.
• Divide cooked noodles into 4 bowls. Divide broth, chicken & shrimp into 4 bowls. Garnish with bright chiles and a sprig of cilantro.

KHAO SOI GAI (NORTHERN THAI COCONUT-CURRY NOODLES WITH CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Make the curry paste: Bring 1/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dried chiles and makrut lime leaves (if using) to a small bowl; pour the boiling water on top and let steep for 10 minutes.
• While the mixture steeps, separate the cilantro leaves from the stems; set leaves and any tender stems aside for garnish. Roughly chop cilantro stems and add to a small food processor (or the bowl of a large mortar and pestle) along with the shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, curry powder, shrimp paste (if using) and lime zest.
• Add the soaked chile mixture (including its liquid) and process (or crush with a pestle) until curry paste is smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 10 minutes for either method. Curry paste can be made up to 2 weeks ahead; store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the fried noodles: In a medium (2-quart) saucepan, bring 3 cups neutral oil to 325 degrees over medium-high heat. Add 4 ounces noodles and fry, flipping once or twice, until light brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer noodles to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside until ready to serve. Cool, strain and store remaining oil in a covered jar for another use.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium. Add about 1/4 cup coconut cream, scraped from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk, to the pot and let it melt, about 10 seconds. Add at least half of the curry paste - or more, for a more pungent khao soi - and stir until deeply fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and the remaining coconut milk, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture just to a low boil, about 3 minutes.
• Use 1 tablespoon salt to season drumsticks, then add them to the boiling curry mixture. Cover, and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, lower heat, and add remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock along with 1 cup water. (It should be more like soup than stew.) Season to taste with fish sauce, sugar and salt. Turn heat to very low, and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt and remaining 12 ounces noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain and portion into four bowls. Add 2 drumsticks to each bowl, and about 2 cups curry broth. Garnish with fried noodles, pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots, chile paste or oil, reserved cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

KHAO SOI (NORTHERN THAI LAMB CURRY)

Steps:

• Combine ground cumin, ground coriander seeds, curry powder, turmeric powder and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub rack of lamb with mixed spices and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours. When ready to make this dish, bring lamb to room temperature before cooking.
• Using medium saucepan, pour in 2 tablespoon cooking oil and start cooking the curry pastes on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, adding the spices, then the coconut cream, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, and add the sugar and fish sauce to taste. Simmer for 1/2 hour and check the seasoning.
• Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Heat the saute pan with grapeseed oil and season the marinated lamb with salt. Sear until golden brown. Put in oven for 15 to 17 minutes until medium rare. Allow lamb to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 ribs.
• Place 2 oz of wonton noodles in the center of the plate. Place the lamb rack on top and sprinkle with diced onion, pickled mustard greens, lime zest, and cilantro then pour the hot curry on the lamb. Garnish with 2 oz wonton noodles.

PEI WEI ASIAN DINER MIEN GA (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Place chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lemongrass, and galangal in a large sauce pan. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer.
• Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off heat and reserve until you are ready to serve.
• Place your bowls onto plates big enough so they have room for garnishes.
• Reheat broth to a boil for 15 seconds. Fill each bowl with 2 oz of cooked rice noodles, 1/4 cup of tomatoes, 1/4 cup of carrots, 1 Tbsp of Scallions, and approximately 4 oz of pulled chicken.
• Ladle hot broth over ingredients into bowl until bowl is 3/4 full.
• Place a lime wedge, jalapeno rings, bean sprouts, cilantro, thai basil on each plate for garnish. Serve and place Sriracha and Hoisin on the table for extra flavor.

CHICKEN KHAO SOI

Steps:

• Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25-30 minutes.
• Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons soaking liquid in a food processor, adding more soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed, until smooth. You've just made khao soi paste!
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add khao soi paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
• Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and sugar to soup. Season with salt and/or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings.

PEI WEI ASIAN DINER CARAMEL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine sugar and water in a high sided sauce pot. Bring to boil and simmer until the sugar turns a dark caramel color, but not burnt. Do not stir the sugar while cooking or it may crystallize.
• Add the chicken broth (the broth will boil quickly and spatter because of the hot sugar so be careful. This is the reason for the high sided pan).
• Stir in the broth and continue stirring over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then add the fish sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.
• Combine Vietnamese vinaigrette ingredients to a medium bowl and add cucumbers, red bell peppers and carrots. Marinate until ready to use.
• Season the chicken pieces with the salt.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Set aside.
• In the same pan, (using the extra vegetable oil if needed) saute the ginger, garlic, red onion, and jalapeno over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
• Add the browned chicken pieces and the caramel sauce to the dutch oven, turning the chicken in the caramel broth to coat all sides. Arrange the chicken in the pan so it is all submerged in the sauce as much as possible and bring the pot to a boil.
• Cover the pot, put in the oven and braise until done (35-45 minutes). While chicken is cooking, assemble the green onion, pineapple chunks and the other herbs and set aside.
• Just before serving, add in the green onions and pineapple chunks and stir well. Serve the chicken over your favorite rice or rice vermicelli.Top with portion of Vietnamese vinaigrette slaw.