Not just Paris

Passport & Plate - Fish sauce glaze infused with Thai herbs and spice

Thailand | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 2 photos

Ingredients
250 g palm sugar (or failing that raw, unrefined sugar or even light brown sugar)
10 cl naam plaa or other Asian fish sauce
10 cl water
1 tablespoon tamarind juice

As many of the following as you have on hand:
1 chopped lemon grass stalk
a handful of shredded kaffir lime leaves
1 cm piece of fresh ginger, crushed
3-4 slices of fresh galangal
1 clove of garlic, crushed
fresh or dried chili peppers, whole for milder flavor, chopped for more heat, to taste
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 star anise
1 cardamom pod
a few gently crushed Sichuan or black peppercorns
a couple of washed coriander roots

 

How to prepare this recipe
Over low heat in a heavy saucepan, melt the sugar, gently shaking the pan from time to time, but not stirring. When the sugar is melted and begins to color, carefully add liquid, then spices. Continue to cook for a minute, stirring gently, then remove from heat, cover and allow to infuse for a least an hour or even better overnight.

Strain out solids (reheating if necessary). Taste and add a little warm water if you find it too salty. Use this sauce to coat crisp chunks of fried fish or chicken (bone in is more flavorful, fillets and boneless chunks are more guest-friendly), or drizzle artfully over grilled meats. I make double batches and use the sauce to liven up everything from stir-fries to steamed fish. A jar in the fridge will keep for months.

 

The story behind this recipe
My father is Thai but growing up I thought Thailand was a remote, mysterious place, far removed from my California childhood and my publishing career in Paris. Only in recent years have I started to learn about Thai food, language and culture. About a year ago, I took the plunge and decided to move to Bangkok and travel around Thailand and Asia. In the process I have fallen in love with a people, a place and of course the food. This recipe hits all the signature notes of Thai cuisine: it's salty, sweet and sour, and packs as much heat as you want to give it. As a constant, avid traveler, I love discovering local flavors then sharing them as I go around the world. My cooking is nothing but eclectic, so I developed this flexible recipe to allow me to inject a tasty surprise into all sorts of meals. I have used it to warm up wintery nights in Montreal over crispy chicken wings giving a different spin to dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken); it has wowed friends in Hong Kong over deep-fried chang yu (pomfret). But it also spices up a simple pork chop or roast chicken. Wherever I am in the world, just one heady whiff brings me right back to Thailand.