Salmon Souffle in Banana Leaf Cup (Ho Mok Pla Salmon)

INGREDIENTS :

Coconut milk 1/2 cup Red curry paste, (Kaeng phet curry paste) 2 tbsp. Egg 1 whole Fish sauce 1 tbsp. Sugar 1 - 2 tsp. Salmon fillet, sliced 5 oz. Sweet basil leaves, (bai horapha) 1/4 cup (Makes 1 banana leaf cup. / 1 serving) 1. Mix the curry paste and the coconut milk together in a bowl until you have a smooth mixture. 2. Add egg and blend in well. Season this mixture with fish sauce and sugar. Mix this into a batter, and add pieces of salmon which have been sliced. This process is very much like making a custard or batter for quiche. 3. Prepare a baking dish and line the bottom of the dish with fresh basil leaves and spoon the batter and fish pieces into the dish. Steam or bake in bain-marie until done. lt takes about 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size and depth of the container. To test that the custard is done, insert a skewer into the center of the custard. If it comes out clean, the custard is done. Tips Substitutions : lt may be difficult to find fresh Thai basil, so please use fresh local basil or even fresh green leaf lettuce or spinach or kale. When buying Thai curry paste which comes either in a can or vacuum packed in a plastic container, read the label carefully to check that you are getting the correct type of curry paste. Thai main dishes are usually eaten with plain steamed rice. If you eat some of these dishes by themselves the flavors may be too strong.

Stuffed Crab Shells (Pu Cha)

INGREDIENTS : The stuffing

Ground pork 5 oz. Crab meat 4 oz. Garlic, chopped 1 tbsp. Onion, chopped1 1/2 tbsp. Spring onion, chopped1 1/2 tbsp. Egg 1 whole Fish sauce 1 tbsp. White pepper, ground 1 tsp. INGREDIENTS : The Shells Crab shells 2 Egg 1 whole Vegetable oil for frying 2 cups (2-4 servings) 1. In a bowl, mix together all the stuffing ingredients but not to the point where the mixture becomes a sticky ball of paste. 2. Stuff the crab shells with this mixture. If you do not empty crab shells, you can use large scallop shells and pack the stuffing in tightly. 3. Steam these stuffed shells in a steamer until done (20 minutes). Lift the shells from the steamer and let cool. 4. Pour excess juice off the shells. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Dip the whole shells in beaten whole egg to cover then fry the whole shells face down first until golden brown then turn to finish the other side. This frying process is merely to give the stuffed shells color and heat. 5. Serve hot. Tips Thais eat meals in a totally different way from Westerners. Many main dishes are served at the same time at the center of the table and are eaten with rice. Everyone shares all the dishes.