I love eating Thai food, but the thought of cooking it has always frightened me. For starters, ingredients I know nothing about and have no idea where to find. And whenever I get close to an attempt, I end up lazily concluding ‘wouldn’t a Thai restaurant just make it better’? Well, yes and no.
As with any food, it’s bound to be more nutritious when you cook it yourself and know exactly how much fat and sugar is involved.
Plus, even as an amateur chef, it’s fun to stretch your skills. And just as is the case with any daunting new endeavour, it’s all about forcing yourself to do new things and then breaking the process down into easy-to-understand steps. For example, I now know what straw mushrooms are and that Galangal is that weird ginger I see in the supermarket.
Enter the Eastern Mangroves Resort & Spa’s Spice Spoons classes for Thai or Arabic cuisine, which can be organised with one day’s notice for from two to 12 guests.
At the launch, which was attended by an impressive roster of 10 ambassadors to the UAE from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Brazil, Japan, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as the Thai ambassador to the UAE, Warawudh Chuwiruch, guests donned tall chef hats and crowded into the kitchen.
There, Chef Sathien Chinnapun and Demi Chef De Partie Ekasit Andaris walked them through how to whip up an authentic five-course meal. After sampling Thai fish cakes, Tom Yum Goong, pad Thai, Massomam Beef Curry, steamed sea bass and mango sticky rice for dessert, the group sat down in the hotel's Thai restaurant Pachaylen for a real, chef-cooked feast.
One of the standout dishes of the day was the Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Prawn Soup), which was unlike any I've had in or out of Thailand. Pachaylen's chefs kindly shared their recipe with The National so readers can try it at home.
Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Prawn Soup)
Recipe (1 serving)
3 Tiger Prawns
30g Straw Mushrooms
2-3 Bird’s eye chillies
15g Galangal
10g Lemongrass
3 Kaffir lime leaves
10ml fish sauce
20g Roasted chilli paste
1-2 Limes (juice)
300 mls Tom Yam prawn stock
30 mls carnation milk
1 sprig Coriander leaves
Preparation
Clean the prawns by removing the shell and de-veining, but keep the tail on.
Bring the prawn stock to boil and add the sliced lemongrass, galangal, and chilli and then simmer gently until an aroma develops.
Add the straw mushrooms to the liquid and boil until cooked through.
Next, add the roasted chilli paste, fish sauce and tiger prawns and simmer.
Sprinkle the torn kaffir lime leaves on top of the soup and then add the evaporated milk and stir until combined well, finally add the lime juice to taste.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.
• The Arabian and Thai Spice Spoons gastronomy courses are Dh600 per person, including a trip to the market, refreshments, a souvenir cooking apron, chopping board and shopping bag; they are also offered for Dh500 without the market trip. For reservations call 02 656 1000 ext. 1161 or email emdining@anantara.com at least one day in advance.
