Pork Fried Rice

So, I had decided that this year I was going to learn how to cook Thai food.  To that end, I asked for a wok, and some cook books that would help me along.  What I got was the wok, and "Pok Pok", which is by Andy Ricker, a chef in Portland OR who has studied Thai food for years.

What I've learned so far: It's all in the prep.  My first attempt was a pork fried rice.  Here we go:

Clockwise from the top: Brown Jasmine rice, chopped pork, chilis soaking in fish sauce, shallots, green onion, garlic, eggs, cucumber, lime, cilantro, and a combination of soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper.  The soy sauce is something called "thin" soy sauce.  There's like three or four kinds of soy sauce in Thai food, apparently.



So, you've got everything prepped.  Here we go.  Oil in wok.



Eggs in oil.  They fry up in a way I've never seen before.  It takes all of ten seconds before you have to flip it.  Seriously, Tracy was taking these pictures as I scrambled to get these things in the wok.





Push the egg up the side of the wok, and add the shallots and garlic. Move the aromatics around so they don't burn.



Add the pork, stir and flip.  Might I mention that the gas burner is as hot as it goes?  This stove, in every other capacity, pumps out more heat than I need, but for this, I'm kind of wishing for more.  Thai food is hardcore.  As you stir and flip, you can bring the egg back into it, and chop it up into the meat mixture.



Get the rice in there.  You know the routine.


Add the soy and fish sauce mixture.  OK, word of warning: You may think that a few teaspoons of this stuff won't flavor all this food, but watch it.  It can get incredibly salty really quickly.



Looking good.


Add green onions.


So, that took all of five minutes.  Not kidding.  Anyway, that's a lot of starch and meat.  Here's some vegetables.  Raw shredded Brussels sprouts, with a soy, lime, and kimchee dressing.


Serve family style, with sliced cucumber, limes, cilantro, and some more green onions.  The chilis in fish sauce are served on the side as a funky/spicy sauce.


I'm going to try the more ambitious dishes as time passes.  The ingredients are the real killer, if I want to make it "authentic".  I kind of do, as half-assed Thai food tastes, well... not all that special.  You really need to make an effort to get it to where it needs to be.

Poached Cod in Tomatoes with Saffron and Kale

Garlic.


Lightly Sautéed.


Add red pepper, paprika, and cumin.  If you have Aleppo peppers, use that instead.  I need to go back to the spice store.


Tomatoes come in a box now.  And these are some good tomatoes.  Deglaze pan with white wine, add a pinch of saffron, a couple of bay leaves, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so.



Cod.  No skin.


Nestle cod into tomatoes, low simmer, 7-10 minutes, or until cod is just cooked through.


Remove cod.  Add chopped kale to tomatoes, cook 2-3 minutes, or until kale is softened.




Spoon over cod, garnish with parsley.  Attempt a better presentation than shown.

Toasted Farro and Escarole Soup with White Beans

Roughly chop half a fennel bulb (reserve fronds), and then throw it into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Sure, you could do this by hand, but unless Jaques Pepin is coming over for dinner, no one's really going to notice either way. Repeat with half an onion, and a couple of celery stalks. Keep the leaves, if there are any. Wash a small head of escarole, and tear into pieces. Render chopped bacon, spooning off the fat. Leave bacon in pot, and add a half cup of Farro. What's Farro? It's the new hip whole grain that all the cool kids are using these days. I can get away with this because apparently, I live in the "Williamsburg of Boston". Toast the Farro for about 4 minutes, or until it browns up and you can smell the nutty aroma. Add all those minced vegetables, and cook until soft. Add garlic, cook for about a minute, then add red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and cook for another few minutes to darken up the paste. Add about six cups of broth or stock. You're looking at a combination of chicken and mushroom. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and keep it partially covered for about an hour, to let the Farro cook. You should check it every 20 minutes or so, just to be on the safe side. As you're checking (and tasting) it, adjust for seasoning. I added some fish sauce, and lemon juice. When the Farro is cooked (toothsome but not crunchy), add white beans, and let them warm through, about 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, and toss in the escarole. Stir to incorporate. The escarole will wilt, but you don't really want to be cooking it. Serve with shaved parmesan, reserved fennel fronds and celery leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Crispy Chicken with Harissa

Because I gotta be me, I'm using dried chickpeas. I threw a couple of handfuls into cold water before going to work. That night, boiled the chickpeas about 10 minutes until tender, and I chopped up some onions and garlic. Season bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place skin side down with a few drops of oil in a cold pan, and turn the heat to medium low. This will help render the fat out of the skin, and make it crispy. Don't move the chicken around, either. if you don't touch it for 8-10 minutes, it will become golden brown. Remove chicken when browned, and spoon off the schmaltz. If you're like me, you save that like you would bacon fat. Turn heat to low and add your onions and garlic, and cook until soft. I could have let that brown some more. It can easily get browner than this without burning. Add the tomato paste, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the cooked chickpeas and harissa, and cook for a few more minutes. Throw in a half cup of broth (dealer's choice). Nestle the chicken thighs into the chickpea mixture, and toss into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, squeeze some lemon juice into the chickpeas, and serve.