Reliving My Youth

A couple of times when I was a teenager, mom shipped us to Thailand to spend summer break with the relatives and learn about our roots. The first time I was 13 and it was so exciting to travel alone. Except I had my 8 year old brother in tow, and that was annoying.

Since we stayed for 2 to 3 months at a time, we weren’t treated like tourists (that is, our relatives didn’t take time from work to show us around) and we were too young to venture out ourselves. The aunts and uncles worked during the day, so us kids mostly just hung out in the neighborhood. And because the adults had to leave 2 hours early to account for the horrendous Bangkok traffic, the cousins, brother and I had to procure our own breakfast, lunch and snacks. Every meal we ate came from one street vendor or another. No matter what else we’d eat during the day, we always made a trip to a particular vendor to get skewered, grilled fish balls brushed with a delicious sweet chili-garlic sauce. We’d wait patiently while the old man turned the perfectly round, skewered balls over a hibachi-type grill. I just could not get enough of these snacks. Even though I haven’t had them in years, I still remember how delicious they were.



I’ve tried to replicate that delicious street snack, minus the street, oppressive humidity and pesky baby brother. Maybe that’s why the version I made could never compare to the ones I ate every single day that summer long ago, but they turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Cocktail shrimp balls with sweet chili-garlic sauce
Makes about 35 cocktail-sized shrimp balls

• 2 pounds shrimp, shelled and de-veined
• 3 tbs cornstarch
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, minced
• Sweet chili garlic sauce (recipe follows)

In a food processor, add the shrimp, egg, garlic, lime leaves and fish sauce and process just until you get a paste. Add the cornstarch and process just until incorporated.

To make the shrimp balls, transfer the paste to a large bowl. It will be very sticky, so you’ll want another bowl of water next to you to wet your hands every so often. I made balls about the size of one tablespoon, but you are welcome to make them a little larger. As you’ll notice, they are hard to form in perfect balls. That’s okay; it’s rustic! For two pound of shrimp, you could get about 35 to 40 balls depending on how big you make them.

Not the prettiest picture, I know. I wanted to show what the paste should look like, just so no one freaks out when they see how sticky it is.

To steam the shrimp balls, I use my wok fitted with a bamboo steamer. Use whatever set up you want. Just be sure to line the bottom of the steaming basket with parchment to keep the paste from sticking to the basket. Once the water boils, they will take about 3 or 4 minutes to steam. You’ll have to steam in batches, unless you have an industrial sized steamer. Don’t crowd the balls; they puff up during steaming. They will deflate once they cool off. I like to remove the balls to a rack to cool.

After the shrimp balls are steamed, you have a few options. They can be served as they are, warm with the chili garlic sauce for dipping. This is the way to go if you are impatient or a health nut. If you are in the mood, you could skewer and grill them. If they are still warm or room temp, they won’t take very long at all. Brush a little sauce on them occasionally. Watch them though! The sauce can burn quite quickly due to the sugar content. Since I can’t be bothered to start up my Weber just for a few shrimp ball skewers, my second favorite way to enjoy them is sautéed in my wok, tossed in a little of the sauce. The sauce caramelizes nicely giving a deliciously ooey-gooey coating. Stick them with toothpicks or short skewers, and serve with some of the sauce for dipping. Your family and guests will love you.

If you don’t have a crowd of people to feed, the shrimp balls can be frozen after they are steamed. Freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, throw them into a Ziploc bag, pressing out all the air. If you've got a food vacuum sealer, even better! Thaw the balls in the fridge overnight before heating.


This sweet chili sauce is so simple to make, you’ll never need to buy the commercial stuff again! It's just simple syrup spiked with a little vinegar (or lime juice or tamarind puree if you like), chili and garlic. Heck, you could put minced up ginger, green onions, diced white onions, diced cucumbers or even kaffir lime leaves in it too!

If you find this sauce is too sweet for your taste, just add a little more vinegar and/or fish sauce. Also, I cheat and use the Lee Kum Kee (LKK) chili garlic sauce. Despite its fiery appearance, the LKK sauce is not very spicy. Even Sonny can eat it when I use it in foods. If you want to do it the “authentic” way, add about 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves and as much red chili flakes or sambal oelek as you can stand. And don’t worry if the sauces is not as thick as the commercial stuff; it’ll still taste great.

Sweet Chili garlic Sauce

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbs fish sauce or more to taste
• 1 tbs chili garlic sauce (or 2 minced cloves garlic + as much chili flakes as you can stand)

In a small sauce pan, add the sugar, water and rice vinegar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until it thickens a little, about 5 minutes after it comes to a boil. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Throw in the garlic, chili and fish sauce. Stir and taste. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. It will thicken a little more when cooled, although it will never be as thick as the commercial stuff.

If this recipe has piqued your interest, you may also like Thai fish cakes.

Eat Like a Dane

If I had to guess which country consumes the most paté per capita, I would bet my money on Denmark. Of course, I’ve seen no statistics to back up my speculation (nor do I actually intend to look up this silly fact). My only evidence comes from living there for 2 ½ years. So I know what I know, and I know the Danes love them some paté.

The best recipe I’ve tried for Danish-style liver paté comes from a cookbook called Frøken Jensen’s Kogebog. It’s the Danish version of that Betty Crocker (or was it Better Homes and Gardens??) cookbook so popular a couple of generations ago. There’s not one picture in this entire cookbook. Each page is so dense with text (the recipes are presented one right after another) that I literally have to follow each line with my finger or I’d get lost. And like it’s outdated American counterpart, there are recipes as unappetizing as a savory gelatin mold (is there really such a recipe or is it urban legend??). Yet, I have a warm spot in my heart for Miss Jensen’s book. It reveals an entire culture’s past eating habits. And while many of the recipes are probably outdated, hidden in the dense text are some gems to be found. Recipes like Danish rice porridge, fish cakes, pancakes and the paté (actually 2 different versions).

The main difference between Danish liver paté and a French style paté is the texture. The French stuff is stiffer. The Danish paté is not stiff and can be eaten cold or warm. When cold it will spread creamy, but when warm it’s loose. It's also well suited to freezing due to the hight fat content. I recommend freezing before you bake. Then when you want to eat it, just put it into the oven frozen. I’d guess you’d need to extend the cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of the form you use).

Leverpostej

• 10 ½ oz liver (recommended pork or chicken liver)
• 5 ¼ oz pork fat
• ½ large onion, diced
• 3 anchovy filets
• 3 oz butter
• 2 ½ tbs flour
• 10 oz warm milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Start by making a roux with the butter, flour and milk. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour while whisking vigorously. You should get a uniform mixture. Make sure to warm the milk and whisk vigorously while adding it slowly. At first, the mixture will be thin. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until it thickens and bubbles lightly, about 5 minutes. Pour the béchamel into a large bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Put it aside to cool completely.

Cut the pork fat into very small chunks. Do the same with the liver. Throw the liver, fat and onion into a food processor and process until uniform. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary. There shouldn’t be any large chunks of fat or onion left. Add the eggs and process until incorporated. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the spices. Add the cooled béchamel and mix very well. Pour into a greased loaf pan (I recommend mini loaf pans or small 3 or 4 inch ramekins) and bake at 350ºF until center springs back to the touch. It will take anywhere from 40 minutes in small ramekins to 50 minutes in mini loaf pans. The way I usually tell it’s done is to slightly tip the form. If the liquid is clear, then it’s done, but if the liquid is still pinkish, give it another 5-10 minutes. Don’t worry about overcooking these. There’s so much fat in here, it’s virtually impossible. Besides, the Danes re-heat this all the time and when it cools down it’s still creamy. It can be served cold or warm with Danish rye bread (called European rye bread at your local Trader Joes, or bake your own with this mix from Ikea). I prefer it cold because it spreads nice and creamy. It’s still delicious when served warm, but the texture is looser. Don’t forget the sweet pickles, pickled beets or pickled red cabbage on the side! To make it extra special, the Danes will also dress it up with sautéed mushrooms and crisp bacon.

Sometimes You Gotta Make Due

Ever tasted a Chinese sausage? I didn’t like it the first time I tried it. It was sweet, hard and an alarming shade of red-brown. It made Spam look healthy and natural. Now I appreciate the Chinese variety (even though they are about as healthy as Spam...everything in moderation, right?) and use them in different dishes, such as fried rice and hot pot. Here I’ve used Chinese sausage in shu mai with a twist. These dumplings can have a variety of fillings and I've yet to taste one I didn't like.

Shu mai with Chinese sausage filling

• 1 lbs ground pork
• 1 link Chinese sausage, finely chopped
• 3 scallions finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1 cup peas (optional)
• 1 pack shu mai wrappers (thinner than goyoza wrappers)

Combine the filling for the dumplings. Use about 2 tsp of filling for each wrapper (keep unused wrappers under a damp cloth to prevent drying out). Shu mai, unlike potstickers, are not sealed shut. The filling is exposed at the top. It may take a little practice to get the wrapper to form pleats around the filling and to keep in place. You may find it helpful to use a lightly moist finger to shape the wrapper. Keep finished dumplings under a light damp cloth to keep the wrapper from drying up. To cook the dumplings, steam them in a bamboo steamer lined with lettuce or cabbage leaves for 10 to 12 minutes (or until done). They are ready to enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. If you’ve made more dumplings than you plan to eat, freeze them (before they are cooked) on a cookie sheet then transfer to a plastic bag.

Here’s the twist. I went to my Asian grocer and they were out of shu mai wrappers! Instead of driving out to the burbs to find wrappers, I decided to use the phyllo sheets I had leftover from making a strudel. While the end result was excellent, it took a lot of work because I’m not used to working with phyllo and it dries out so quickly, even when greased up. Cut the phyllo into 3x3 squares and use at least 2 layers to wrap the filling. To cook the dumplings, I put them into a 350º for 20-25 minutes, or until nice and brown. These should be eaten immediately.