sometime in the recent past Nick Cramer posted this:
> Po Tak (Hot & Sour Seafood Soup) Serves 6 to 8.
>
> This soup is rich, spicy and moderately hot. It contains enough solids to
> serve as a main course when accompanied by rice and a vegetable dish.
> “Artificial crab legs” may be substituted for the crab claws.
>
> Ingredients:
>
> ½ lb firm fish fillets
> 1/4 lb raw shrimp
> 4 cleaned squid
> ½ lb small or medium crab claws
> 20 shelled mussels, shucked clams or bay scallops
>
> 6 cups water
> 12 pieces kah (galanga)
> 10 Kaffir lime leaves
>
> 2 Tbs Roasted Red Curry [see below]
> 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs Nam Pla (fish sauce)
>
> 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs lime juice
> 1 tsp ground roasted chiles [see below]
>
> 1 cup cilantro
>
> Procedure:
>
> 1. Slice the fish fillets into pieces about 1 inch square. Peel and devein
> the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Slice the squid into pieces about 1
> inch square. Crack the crab claws by hitting them with a hammer or the side
> of a cleaver. Place all in a bowl and set aside.
>
> 2. Put the water, kah and Kaffir lime leaves in a large pot and rapidly
> bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and boil gently for 5 minutes.
>
> 3. Add the seafood, Roasted Red Curry and fish sauce to the pot and return
> to a gentle boil. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the fish is firm and
> opaque, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
>
> 4. Add the lime juice and ground chiles and mix well. Place the soup in a
> tureen or serving bowl and garnish with cilantro.
>
> 5. Serve with rice.
>
> ******************************
>
> Roasted Red Curry (Nam Prik Pao)
>
> This is the authentic, traditional recipe. Reduce the amount of shrimp
> paste if you want, but don't eliminate it. A very strong odor will develop
> when you're frying the dried shrimp and shrimp paste, so either prepare it
> when no guests are around or on an outdoor BBQ, in which case, put the wok
> directly on the red-hot coals. It will keep up to six months in the
> 'fridge. The oil will rise to the top, so stir before using. Spread thinly
> on toast, serve as a cocktail snack, side dish or dip.
>
> Ingredients (makes 3 cups):
>
> 3 oz. wet tamarind or tamarind extract
> ½ cup granulated sugar
> 1/4 cup warm water
>
> 1/4 lb. dried New Mexico, California or hotter chiles
> 1 cup vegetable oil
>
> ½ cup finely chopped garlic
>
> 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
>
> 1-1/4 cups dried shrimp
> 1/4 cup shrimp paste
>
> Procedure:
>
> 1. Soak the wet tamarind in 3/4 cup warm water for 15 minutes, then press
> through a sieve, getting all the pulp you can, including the water. Scrape
> the outside of the sieve to get all the pulp. (skip this if using the
> concentrate)
>
> 2. Place the tamarind solution and sugar in a saucepan, adding 3/4 cup warm
> water if you use the concentrate). Bring to a boil and immediately remove
> from heat. Let cool to room temp.
>
> 3. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and tear into pieces no
> larger than 1" square. Heat a wok, add ½ cup oil and swirl over surface.
> Stir fry the chiles over moderate heat until they are deep red and lightly
> fragrant, but don't let them burn. Remove the chiles, but not the oil, from
> the wok and set them aside in a bowl.
>
> 4. Add 2 more Tbs oil to the wok and stir fry the garlic 'til lightly
> golden. Remove garlic, but not oil, and add it to the chiles.
>
> 5. Add another 2 Tbs oil to the wok and stir fry the onion 'til it's light
> golden. Again, remove and add to chiles and garlic.
>
> 6. Add 1/4 cup more oil to the wok, add the dried shrimp and cook for about
> 1 minute, then add the shrimp paste and stir fry 'til the color is uniform
> and the strong odor has subsided, 1 or 2 minutes. Add all the wok contents,
> including the oil, to the previously fried ingredients and allow to come to
> room temp.
>
> 7. Place the fried ingredients, oil and tamarind mixture in a food
> processor or blender and grind to a smooth paste, adding more oil if it
> seems dry. Store in closed jar.
>
> ******************************************
>
> Roasting and grinding Red chiles
>
> Preferably Thai Prik Kee Noo (3 to 4 inch Thai chiles) or whatever you
> like. Roast whole, stems and all, in a dry wok or skillet until the color
> changes to dark red or brown, being very careful to not let them burn. Have
> a fan on and windows open! When cool enough to handle, remove the stems
> (and seeds - if you want). Put them in a food processor or blender and
> start to grind, using short pulsing action at first. Then let it run
> steadily 'til very small pieces.
>
> Will keep forever in a closed container, but like all ground spices, will
> lose potency over time.
>
Some good stuff there! Just a question of comparison - how similar are nam
pla and nuoc mam as I use the latter all the time and haven't come across
the nam pal yet.

--
Wilson N44º39" W67º12"

sometime in the recent past Nick Cramer posted this:
> Wilson <pyde_piper@excite.com> wrote:
>> sometime in the recent past Nick Cramer posted this:
>>> Po Tak (Hot & Sour Seafood Soup) Serves 6 to 8.
>>> [ . . . ]
>> Some good stuff there! Just a question of comparison - how similar are
>> nam pla and nuoc mam as I use the latter all the time and haven't come
>> across the nam pal yet.
>
> Nam Pla is Thai, Nuoc Mam is Vietnamese. De gustibus non est disputandum.
>
Thanks. My latin is verrry rusty, but I got the gist before I searched on it ;-)

--
Wilson N44º39" W67º12"