Isaan-style Sausages

It has come to my attention that I’m a dork. Apparently I can do things like determine protein kinetics on a nanosecond time scale, but I’m unable to tell my left from my right. In my previous post, I kept referring to my left side bar when everything is really in the right side bar. So for the person(s) who found it totally annoying that I kept saying left when I should have been saying right:

Check out Charcuterie in the right side bar! Check out the Foodie Blogroll in the right side bar!

Did that make ya’ll feel better? Now on to more important (and less embarrassing) matters...

I made another sausage! This time I made a fragrant, garlicky, spicy sausage using the “Thai trinity” (lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves) as the flavor base. The only thing that was missing was the sour component characteristic of this type of sausage. It is achieved by fermenting the sausage at room temperature for 1 to several days (see note). Wasn’t quite ready to go there, but soon, I promise! Even without the sourness, this fresh sausage turned out very tasty. Good thing too; I made 5 pounds of it!

Isaan-style Sausages

15 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
3 stalks lemon grass, finely minced
1 tbs minced galangal
2 heads garlic (about 20 or so cloves), minced
Fresh bird’s eye chillies, to taste (start with 5 then go up from there)
1 bunch cilantro, minced
4.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced
1/2 pound pork (back) fat, diced
2 cups cooked, cold sticky rice, kernels separated (other long-grain rice will work)
1 ¼ oz kosher salt (more or less to taste)
1 cup very cold water

Note: If you have the nerve to try fermenting the sausage, you'll need to add 1/4 tsp of pink salt per kilogram (approx 2.2 lbs) of sausage. Hang the sausage for 1 to several days at room temperature (approx 70 degrees is optimal). Keep it out of direct sunlight. A cool basement is probably the best choice if you have one. Test the level of sourness by cooking a small piece bit every day. Once you determine the sausage is sour enough, freeze whatever you don't plan to eat right away.

Season the diced meat and fat with the lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chillies and cilantro. Stick the meat in the freezer for about an hour. The meat should be well chilled, just starting to freeze. Your grinding equipment should be well chilled as well. I like using the coarse die for sausage. It leaves the texture just course enough to know you're eating real meat. Grind the meat into a bowl set on ice. To the ground meat, add the salt and water. Mix well. Lastly add the rice and mix again. Take a small portion to cook to determine if it’s seasoned properly (put the rest in the fridge while doing this). If it’s all good, then stuff the sausage into hog casings and enjoy! It's great served as a snack with ginger matchsticks, fresh roasted peanuts, and chillies. Being the simple person I am, I like to eat mine with sticky rice. I bet it would be yummy as a base for fried rice or noodles too. Remember, freeze whatever you can’t eat within two or three days.

Here are some other sausage recipes on my list that you may like to try: Burnt Lumpia's Longanisa and Mrs. Marv's Thai-spiced chicken sausage.

Mint and Lemongrass Green Tea Ice Cream

In case you forgot, it's St. Patrick's Day!

I was reminded when I was driving Sonny to school (not that I really forgot; I mean, who forgets a “holiday” centered around drinking beer?). Sonny also caught the radio DJ saying something about it. I heard his sad voice from the backseat, “You forgot to tell me to wear green and I will be the only one at school not wearing green.” He sounded so heartbroken, which in turn broke my heart. I assured him not everyone would be wearing green. Then I pointed out that his scarf has green and his pillow and blanket are green. But he didn’t look like he was really buying it, and it was too late to run back home. And sure enough, when we walked into class, everybody was wearing something green. Man, did I feel like a jerk. Luckily, one of the teachers saved the day by suggesting Sonny cut out a large green shamrock to pin to his shirt. But I still felt like a jerk. As soon as I got home, I started on a batch of mint and lemongrass green tea ice cream. Yes, I’m the type of mother who shows love through food. And yes, I know what current conventional parenting wisdom says about that, with childhood obesity and all, but I really don’t care.



The first time I tried making ice cream with my new ice cream maker, I used a recipe that made like 3 or 4 quarts. Not only was it a logistical nightmare because I only have one freezer bowl, but the texture was not smooth and creamy enough. Subsequent attempts with different recipes turned out alright flavorwise, but they left me searching for better texture. I think my search is finally over.

Now, about the ice cream: it’s basically a vanilla ice cream infused with tea. The vanilla ice cream comes from Maida Heatter’s Cakes. There are two things I like about this recipe: the texture is right on, and the final amount is about 1 ½ pints, which happens to be the perfect amount for 3 or 4 people. For the tea, you can choose any good cream and sugar tea. The tea I chose has a hint of lemongrass and mint. I used 5 tea bags so the ice cream is sufficiently flavored of green tea, but I only wish the lemongrass and mint were a little more prevalent. Next time I’ll trying infusing with an extra stalk of lemongrass and crushed, fresh mint. Still, an excellent result that was a hit all around.

Green Tea Ice Cream
makes about 1 1/2 pints

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 green tea bags (Thai tea also works very well)
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ granulated sugar
• seeds scraped from one vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of the cream with the vanilla seeds just to a boil (if you’re using extract, add it at the end of cooking). Add the 5 tea bags, cover and remove from heat to steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes or so. Gradually add in the sugar and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes on high, until the sugar is well incorporated into the egg. With all this beating, make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally to ensure everything is well incorporated and you don't lose half the stuff on the sides of the bowl.

Remove the tea bags from the cream and discard them. Be sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the bags. Slowly add the cream to the eggs while mixing vigorously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook the custard until a candy thermometer reaches about 175˚. Make sure you are stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, especially as it reaches the target. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll know it’s done when it gets thick and coats the back of your utensil without dripping off. (If the custard starts to stick to the bottom like it’s about to scramble, you’ve overshot, and it's definitely done. But don’t throw in the towel just yet. You may be able to salvage it if you haven’t grossly overshot.)

Once you remove the custard from the heat, add the remaining cup of cream (and vanilla extract, if using) while mixing well. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large, clean bowl. Don’t press the debris through the sieve. Anything that doesn’t go through by gravity is not meant to go in the ice cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (longer is better) before churning. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker (model ICE-BC; thanks Bedstemor and Bedstefar!) and it took about 25 minutes to get it to be the consistency of soft serve. I froze it for an additional 3 hours before serving. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for churning and freezing.

If this ice cream has piqued your interest, may I suggest trying Thai tea crème brulee? It’s delicious and creamy-smooth. I promise you’ll love it.

My Productive Day in the Kitchen

Today I started bright and early making scones with Sonny. To be honest, I was nervous about this activity. We’d been talking about making scones since he had his first one last week. Every morning he’d wake up asking if it was the day to make scones. He was so patient all week and I was worried we’d end up with rock-hard-dry-ass lumps. Fortunately, they turned out great. I used this recipe and followed it exactly (except for the dry fruit part; Sonny wanted chocolate chips so I let him put some on a couple of them). The taste reminded me a little of shortbread, but they weren’t overly sweet and they were buttery without feeling greasy.





After lunch I made a batch of Vietnamese lemongrass chili sauce, the recipe for which I got at Wandering Chopsticks. Holy shit is it good! Even while it was cooking, I could tell it was going to kick ass because the aroma was divine. And it was far easier than I expected. I didn’t bother with canning it. Instead I just poured it into a sterilized jar and put a layer of oil over. I think it should keep for a couple of months in the fridge.



For dinner we had oven-roasted lemongrass chicken with nuoc cham (I add shredded carrot or sometimes jicama to mine) and the lemongrass chili sauce I made. Luckily, I got a quick shot of the chicken because there was none left over to “stage”. I can’t wait until the weather is nice enough to grill. This chicken is good in the oven but it will be downright orgasmic on the grill.



There are a ton of recipes out there for lemongrass chicken, but I just kept it simple. You could certainly add ginger and I’ve even seen recipes that call for sesame oil. It’s your call with the embellishments.

Simple Lemongrass Chicken

• 4 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch segments
• 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup thin or mushroom soy sauce (but regular old Kikkoman is fine too)
• ¼ cup Thai oyster sauce (Chinese will work too)
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 4-lb chicken, cut into pieces (or 4 hindquarters)

The easiest way to make the marinade is to throw the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get a uniform mixture. Sometimes, just for the hell of it, I will pound the herbs in a mortar then mix the paste with the wet ingredients in a bowl. I leave this up to you.

Marinate the chicken overnight. An hour before roasting or grilling, let the chicken sit at room temperature to take the chill off. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a 375˚ pre-heated oven until done. Keep in mind that the different pieces will cook at different rates. If you decide to grill, do it over indirect heat until done. Serve with nouc cham, steamed rice and sliced cucumber and tomatoes.

Finger-licking good

I found this recipe for Thai grilled chicken years ago, but I can’t remember where it came from. It’s incredibly good, even better than what you will find in most Thai restaurants IMO. Perfect with sticky rice.



Thai Grilled Chicken:

• 2 stalks lemon grass, whites only
• 2 tbs ginger, grated or crushed
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup cilantro, preferably stems with roots
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs curry paste (any Thai paste will do)
• 1 ½ cups light soy sauce
• chicken, approximately 2-3 lbs (see note below)
• 1 portion sweet chilli dipping sauce (recipe follows)

I like to use a mortar and pestle to make the marinade because I have a large one, like this. Otherwise, it's just as effective to use a food processor. Start by pounding the lemon grass, ginger, garlic and cilantro until everything is well mash. Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar, soy sauce and curry paste. Mix until you get a uniform consistency.

How long to marinate? For chicken with skin and bones, I typically marinade for 6-8 hours. A whole chicken cut in half should go for about 8 hours. For boneless breasts, I pound them a little and marinate them for about 4 hours. This time I did chicken wings and marinated them for 5 hours.

The best way to cook the chicken is to grill it. However, that only happens during the three months of nice weather here in Portland. I do thighs, drumsticks, and breasts on the grill, and during the other 9 months out of the year, I do whole (cut in half) chickens in the (convection) oven at 350º for about 50 minutes to an hour and chicken wings for about 35 minutes.

The dish is not complete without the dipping sauce. Of course you can buy it, but it’s just as easy to make. Make it as sour or spicy as you like by adjusting the vinegar or sambal oelek.

Dipping sauce:

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (or 1-2 red chillies diced)

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water and rice vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat a little and simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to get a little thick. Turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and sambal oelek (or chilies).

Green Curry

Green curry is my favorite Thai curry. Whenever I visit my parents, I request it. In fact, mom will usually have a pot waiting for me. Interestingly, I rarely order it when I eat at Thai restaurants because it’s usually served too sweet and thick for my taste.

Green curry with Thai eggplant and chicken. Photo added Dec 2008.

To buy or to make curry paste, that is the question. Mom usually buys it. I make my own, for a couple reasons. 1) It really doesn’t take much time because I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I make a big enough batch to last a month or so. 2) I know what’s going into it and how old it is. This might just be me, but it’s a little unsettling when the manufacturers have to say “processed under the strictest hygienic conditions.” I would recommend trying to make your own at least once.

Green curry paste:
Adapted from The Food of Thailand (see right side bar)

• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 8-10 small green chillies, seeded
• 2 lemon grass stalks, whites only and finely sliced
• 1x1/4 inch (or there abouts) piece of galangal finely chopped
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• 4 Asian shallots or the equivalent amount of regular shallot
• 5 coriander roots or 1 bunch of coriander stems, finely chopped
• handful of Thai basil leaves or sweet basil leaves
• 1 to 2 tsp fermented shrimp paste (kapi paste)
  

Keep in mind: 1)Despite what people say, ginger can not really be substituted for galangal, which has a slight lemony flavor. I suppose you could use ginger and up the amount of lemongrass by 1 stalk or add an additional 2-3 lime leaves. I’ve never done this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Thai-Viet grocers usually carry fresh galangal, and they will definitely have dried galangal. You can reconstitute it in water before chopping. If you can get fresh, then I would buy a bunch, slice it and freeze it in portions. I also do this with my lemon grass, chillies, and lime leaves. 2) It’s hard to find coriander roots. I once found it at New Seasons (local to Portland), and I think they may have it at Whole Foods. It is definitely worth finding, but I just use the coriander stalks instead. 3) If you are afraid of the shrimp paste, start with only 1 or half a tsp (depending on the type you’re using). It’s like cooking with anchovies, which some people are afraid to use for fear of a fishy taste. 4)Asian shallots are the size of pearl onions.

I like to start by chopping up all the ingredients very finely. The old fashion way to make the paste is to pound the ingredients until you have something that resembles the consistency of Elmer’s white glue paste. Honestly that will take forever, and I’ve never ever been able to achieve this by pounding (which I did for about 20 minutes!). What I do is throw everything into a food processor and add about ¼ cup of peanut oil (or vegetable oil), then puree until I get something that resembles thick pesto. If you’re going to use a processor, you don’t have to go through the trouble of chopping everything meticulously, except maybe the galangal, lemon grass and lime leaves. These things are quite fibrous and may cause some food processors to stall or you’ll get a chunky half-paste. Don’t stress if your paste doesn’t resemble the store bought stuff. What you should strive for is something that resembles the consistency of thick pesto. Usually this recipe makes enough paste for 3 or 4 uses. I freeze the stuff in 2-3 tbs portions.

If you want to use it for marinading, start with one portion (about 2-3 tbs) paste and add 2 tbs brown sugar, 3 tbs coconut milk (optional) and about ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce. I allow chicken pieces (with bone and skin) to marinade for as little as 2 hours up to 8 hours for a whole bird.

Before you attempt this recipe for green curry, please read the following disclaimer (and the editor’s letter on page 14 in the March 2007 issue of Saveur). I have never measured any of the ingredients before. I tried really hard to get a working recipe, but really it’s a guideline. You may like it sweeter or saltier. Let your taste buds lead you.

Green curry (serves 4):

• 2 ½ cups coconut milk (not low fat, you’ll need at least 2/3 cup cream)
• 2 tbs green curry paste (homemade or store bought)
• 1 to 2 tsp brown sugar (more to taste)
  
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs sliced galangal
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thigh, sliced (pork is also commonly used)
• bamboo shoots, well rinsed and drained
• other veggies such as sliced red bell pepper, green beans, etc
• ½ cup half and half
• Handful of Thai basil leaves, roughly torn.

In a heavy bottom large pot on medium heat, cook 1 cup coconut cream/milk until it separates. This may take 15 minutes. Then continue to cook for about 5 more minutes with frequent stirring to prevent burning. The volume of the liquid will be greatly reduced. Add the curry paste and fry for about 2 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent burning. Add the rest of the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, lime leaves, galangal and chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then check seasonings. Add more sugar or fish sauce to taste. When you’re happy with the taste, add the bamboo shoots and any veggies that may take longer to cook (like green beans). After a couple minutes, add the chicken and remaining veggies, spreading the chicken out in the sauce. Close the lid for 7 minutes to let the chicken cook. If the chicken needs more time, give it a gentle stir and let it cook until done. My mom is convinced that too much stirring will dry out the meat. After you turn off the heat, add the half and half and basil leaves, and give it a gentle stir. Let the curry sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors develop, then readjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with jasmine rice.