Tom Som Pla Food

TOM SOM PLA

Steps:

• In a mortar, pound the coriander root, shallots, salt and peppercorns to a smooth paste.
• Add shrimp paste and pound well to blend.
• Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the paste mixture for a few moments until fragrant.
• Add the fish to the frying pan and coat with the paste, but do not allow the fish to cook through.
• Add the fish mixture to the boiling water and stir.
• Season with the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind water and bring back to a boil. By this time the fish should be cooked.
• Add the ginger and spring onions.
• Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.

TOM YAM PLA (THAI SPICY AND SOUR SOUP WITH FISH)

Steps:

• For the Fish: Place snapper in a medium bowl, add fish sauce, and toss to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• For the Fish Stock: Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine tomatoes, lemongrass, onion, galangal, lime leaves, fish sauce, and 2 quarts (1.9L) water and bring to a bowl over high heat. Add reserved head and bones, then lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, skimming any scum that accumulates on the surface, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set over a 2-quart saucepan (you should have about 1 quart; 945ml) and set aside. Discard head, bones, and aromatics.
• For the Soup: Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet or carbon steel pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add dried chiles and cook until lightly charred on one side, making sure to move them around to avoid burning, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer chiles to a small bowl. Add tomatoes to pan and cook over high heat until charred on all sides, making sure to move them around to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with chiles and set aside.
• Bring reserved fish stock in saucepan to a boil over high heat. Add galangal, lemongrass, and shallots, along with charred chiles and tomatoes, and allow aromatics to infuse stock, about 1 minute. Add snapper, making sure it is submerged in the stock, and cook until snapper is opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add lime leaves, fresh chiles, and fish sauce, and remove from heat. Stir in lime juice (the color of the stock will turn opaque) and culantro. Serve immediately with cooked jasmine rice.

KHAO TOM PLA (RICE SOUP WITH FISH)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and stir fry teh garlic until fragrant and golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the galangal and tang chye. Season with the salt and pepper and simmer for about 7 minutes.
• Add the rice and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add the fish pieces and simmer for about 5 minutes until fish is cooked.
• Stir in the celery and fish sauce and remove from heat.
• Serve hot garnished with the crispy fried garlic, scallions and cilantro leaves.