Cooking for the New Economy, Thai-Style
10 April 2009 by Jean JohnsonWho better than to take cues for economizing than the Thais. For centuries these creative southeast Asian cooks from have used local, seasonal ingredients and a flair for building flavor right in the bowl to regale eaters far and wide. Americans, in particular, have fallen in love with Thai food with it’s enticing balance of salty, sour, spicy, and sweet.
This slaw is out of Beyond Measure (page 139). I patterned it after a green papaya salad I learned to make when I was in Bangkok. It’s easy, affordable, healthy, and delicious–so much so that I’m featuring it in cooking classes this spring along with a hot and spicy shrimp soup, Thai-style.
Green papayas, of course, are plentiful in Thailand. But here, you have to go to an Asian market to get this exotic fruit. So what I’ve done is acted like a Thai would and substitute the ubiquitous, cheap cabbage for the papaya.
Thai Slaw
Recipe Note
To a base of shredded cabbage, add shredded carrots, sliced scallions, and fresh ginger. Toss the vegetables with minced garlic, a chop of fresh cilantro and dates, and some tiny dried shrimp if you want. Dress with fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed red chile. Garnishing with chopped peanuts and coconut turns this slaw into a vegetable sundae.
Details
~Pounding garlic is easiest if you have a mortar and pestle.
~Shredding the unpeeled ginger on a microplane works renders a pulp that flavors the slaw without being intrusive.
~Go easy on the ginger, garlic, and chile until you figure out how much you like.
~Make Thai Slaw vegetarian and vegan by using tamari instead of fish sauce and leaving off the dried shrimp.
~If you make this during pepper season, a chop of red peppers in the mix is pretty.
A couple caveats: when you use dates for the sweet instead of sugar, eaters have to get a nibble of date with each bite to make it work. My rule of thumb: when serving people who like to steer clear of sugar, use the dates–otherwise the sugar melts in with the lime juice more evenly.
Another couple tips from talking with Eldie recently. Do use a box grater to shred things. It makes the fine translucent bits that make this slaw a happening thing. Also, use plenty of lime juice–as in fresh. Like 4-6 for a head of cabbage wouldn’t be too much at all.I did this slaw with young girls 8-12. Without measurements, they started out very timid and slowly with just a tiny bit of this and that.
Then we’d taste and everyone would look at each other and say, “I don’t get anything yet, do you?” Then they’d go back at yet. We’d taste again. Etc. Etc. It didn’t take long, though, before the girls were proudly offering their well dressed, zingy slaw to people in the audience.
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2 Responses to “Cooking for the New Economy, Thai-Style”
All I gotta say is…. YUM!!!!
By Grandma Misi on Aug 2, 2010
Misi, This slaw really is yum. Serious yum. Do you have Beyond Measure? It’s in there as well.
By Jean Johnson on Aug 9, 2010