Archive for the ‘SEAFOOD – ALL’ Category
Stir Fried Crab Curry
This is a Thai dish that uses fresh ingredients as well as a packet of stir fry curry. The curry paste is a Thai brand, Lobo, and is available in the US in Asian markets. Lots of photos for this but this comes together very quickly. This is based on using a large wok but is not needed if you do not have one, and most ingredients are just estimated, there is no set rules for this. The curry sauce packet has instructions on the back in English, but they are NOT used for this dish, this recipe (guide really) is based on me watching a Thai family member prepare this.
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos fresh crabs, blues or any swimmers are good (2-4 lb)
- 5-10 cloves garlic
- 1-2 palmfuls coarsely ground black pepper, be generous
- 1 onion
- 3-6 eggs
- 5-10 spring onions
- 1-2 bunches Thai celery, or Chinese celery
- cooking oil, as needed
Special Equipment
- large wok
Instructions
Preparation
- 1. Crabs: Remove the tail flaps and cut each crab in half, from head to tail area. 2. Onion: halve then chopped. 3. Spring Onion and Thai Celery including the tops: chopped into 1 to 2 inch pieces. 4. As an alternate to coarsely ground black pepper, use whole peppercorns and crush them in a mortar. 5. Eggs, lightly beaten. Once everything is prepped, we are ready to begin.
- Here is the curry sauce packet used.
- With Thai families, there is usually more than one person helping in the kitchen, often times the prep work is done by the whole family and the best cook prepares the dish or directs others to prepare it, basically teaching in action.
Let's Get Started
- Heat a splash of oil in your large wok or large pan on medium high heat. When hot, add the garlic, and since this is called a stir fry, so start stirring.
- When the when garlic is browned up a bit, add the crab, keep stirring.
- Sprinkle in about half of the black pepper, and you guessed it, keep stirring.
- And stirring.
- After a few minutes you will start seeing the shell turn red.
- Add the onion.
- And stir until the onion is softened up a bit, just a few minutes.
- Add the remaining black pepper and stir that in.
- Pour in the beaten eggs.
- Stir for 30 seconds or so to distribute some of the egg.
- Add the packet of curry sauce.
- Stir some more.
- Coming together beautifully. Liquid is water from the crabs as well as the sauce thinned out with that water.
- Add the spring onion and Thai celery. A note about the celery, if you cannot find Thai or Chinese celery, use regular celery but cut 1 stalk into 3-4 ling pieces then dice plus chop up about 2-3 tops.
- Stir again, almost done.
- And there you go, Stir Fried Crab Curry. From heating the wok to this, maybe 10 minutes. This is the reason to have everything prepped and ready to go.
- Pour everything onto a platter, ready to be served.
- And the cook himself with his wife, my wife is peeking out from the doorway.
- And honorable mention of the niece, she and my wife did the prep work for this dish.
Notes
Low cost as we did purchase the crabs direct from local fishermen.
Shrimp Salad II
This is a basic recipe that sounds delicious on toast or crackers. On my to make list for sure.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo shimp, cleaned, tails removed as well, cooked, (2 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 bunch Thai celery, chopped, 2 stalks for US celery
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix everything in a large mixing bowl, starting with just 1 cup of mayo and adding more as needed, you want the shrimp coated well, not dripping in mayo. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
- Serve on toast or crackers.
Notes
I will price this next time I get shrimp from the local area. For now I will say Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mushroom Spring Rolls
Sounds delicious. Making spring rolls seems tricky but it is so easy. These are Spring Rolls, Chinese in origin, spring roll wrappers fry up crispy. Egg Rolls are American in origin and are a thicker, chewier wrapper. On my to cook list. I will verify how many spring rolls, wrappers, are needed when I make these. And I will have step by step photos to show you how to assemble these.
Ingredients
- spring roll wrappers, I will determine the number needed
- 50 grams fresh Shiitake mushrooms, coarsely minced, (2 oz)
- 100 grams fresh shrimp, peeled, coarsely minced, (4 oz)
- 1-5 red Bird's Eye chilies, seeded and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 teaspoon Thai Basil, minced
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- pinch sugar
- cooking oil, as needed
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Instructions
- For the mushrooms and the shrimp, you can either use a knife to mince the stems, caps, and shrimp or just run them through a meat grinder if you have one, using the coarse plate, aka, the wagon wheel, you can mince the mushrooms and shrimp at the same time with the grinder.
- Prepare the chilies, garlic, and basil.
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan, when hot, add the chilies and garlic, stir fry for a minute, then add the shrimp, mushrooms, sauces, sugar, and basil. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool to room temp.
- To assemble the spring rolls, first we need to make the glue to seal the edge of the pastry. Mix together the water and corn starch in a small bowl, set that aside but close to where you will be working.
- Open the package of spring roll sheets. Carefully pull off one sheet and place smooth side down on a clean counter with one corner of the sheet facing you. Very important, place a damp towel on the unused sheets, if the sheets dry out they are hard to pull apart and will tear. (This is where two people is very handy, one to pull the the pastry apart and the other rolling the spring rolls.)
- Place a tablespoon or so of filling near the corner closest to you.
- Fold the bottom (the corner closest to you) up over the filling.
- Tightly roll, the filling will spread some, that is fine. When the roll is in the widest part of the pastry (left and right corners will be on the sides of the roll) fold each side towards the center. The roll should be about 5 inches long, and should look like an open envelope.
- Continue to roll, and when there is just a pointy section at the end away from you, use your finger and apply some of the cornstarch slurry you made just a few minutes ago to the edges of the pointy section (just like sealing an envelope), continue to roll and seal the edge, and just pat that seam down with your fingers. There, you just made a spring roll.
- Repeat until you have either used all the filling or all the pastry sheets.
- To fry these, heat about 1 inch of oil in a pot. When hot, add 4-5 spring rolls at a time and fry, turn often, until golden brown, These cook fast so keep an eye on them. Remove to paper towels to drain and fry the remaining rolls.
- Let cool for a few minutes then serve hot as is or serve with a dipping sauce of your choice. My Sweet & Sour Sauce is listed as a shortcut in the Recipe Notes section.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut:Â Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce.
Variant: 1. Bake instead of fry, place on a rack on a baking sheet, spray with oil all sides, bake in a 200 C (400 F) oven until golden brown.
This recipe for Mushroom Parcels is adapted from Appon's Thai Food.
Sticky Mushrooms & Oysters
Excellent dish that goes together quickly. Perfect use for oyster meat, and you can use any fresh mushrooms you prefer.
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh oyster meat, drained, (2 cups)
- 75-150 grams fresh mushrooms, your choice, (3-5 oz)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- â…” cup water
- ¼ cup light soy sauce, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- ¼ cup spring onion, sliced, white and green. or chopped coriander
- 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- Mix together the rice flour, corn starch and water to make a slurry. Set aside.
- Place the well drained oyster meat in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and mix together well.
- Mushrooms, coriander, and garlic all prepped. I used 75 grams of Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced, and coriander in place of the spring onion.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan then add the garlic and fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- To the pan, add the mushrooms and oysters and stir in the flour slurry, stir to remove any lumps.
- When the mixture is lump free, add the soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and spring onions, cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from heat.
- Serve with rice on the side.
Notes
I buy oysters from local fishermen for 50 Baht/pint. This is low cost. If sourcing from Tesco, you might be over $1 per serving. I will verify the Tesco cost.
Fried Oysters
Excellent as written, and can be tailored in many ways. I will be using the smaller oyster meat, larger than what Tesco offers and what I use is sourced from a local fisherman. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 pint oyster meat, drained, (2 cups)
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup fine breadcrumbs, and as needed, Shortcut
- lard, or cooking oil, as needed, Shortcut
Instructions
- Heat some lard or cooking oil of your choice in a large non stick pan, you want about 1/2 inch or so for shallow frying, no need to deep fry these. Heat to just before smoking.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, pepper, and salt. Add the eggs to another shallow bowl and lightly beat them. Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. The pan is to my left out of view, so you can see the progression from right to left.
- Coat the oysters in flour, then coat with egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.
- Place in the hot oil, but do not over crowd the pan, work in batches, and cook until golden brown.
- Turning the larger ones if not covered in oil.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve with a dipping sauce as desired and sides of your choice. Enjoy.
Notes
I get fresh shucked oysters, about a pint, for 50 Baht, with no math involved this is low cost for 4 servings.
Shortcuts: Rendering Lard, Bread Crumbs.
Oyster Thai Omelet
Thai omelets are generally airy and fluffy cooked eggs, not folded over. This is quick and easy, served with rice on the side, a simple and filling meal for 3-4 people. Oyster meat, these are small oysters, the meat is 1 to 1½ inches long, is mixed into the eggs before going into the pan, and is delicious. My wife made this today, 7 June 2018 for breakfast for herself, her mother, and I.
Ingredients
- 4-5 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons fish sauce, OR use a pinch of salt
- 1 cup oyster meat, add more to your liking if desired
- 2-3 spring onions, chopped, green and white parts
- cooked rice, for serving
- cooking oil, as needed
Instructions
- Put a wok or non stick pan on high heat and add about ½ cup of cooking oil. For a non stick with the rounded sides, a 10 inch pan is perfect and you want about ¼ inch of oil on the bottom of the pan.
- While the pan is heating, break eggs into a bowl. Add the fish sauce to the eggs, and beat with a fork until frothy. Add the oyster meat and spring onion, and mix that in.
- When the oil just starts to smoke, turn the heat to low and quickly pour in the beaten eggs, it will fluff before your eyes.
- Using a spatula, spread the oysters out a bit, they normally collect in the center, then lift the edges to get the liquid part of the eggs onto the pan, do this several times.
- Keep checking the bottom and when getting nice and browned and set well (remember, from pouring into the pan to flipping takes only 45 seconds to a minute) flip the omelet over, move the loose oysters onto the omelet, 20-30 seconds later, the bottom should be browning nicely. Here the eggs are set well on the top, and ready for flipping.
- Flipped, and some stray oysters being moved around a bit on to the omelet.
- Slide from the pan onto a plate and serve with rice on the side.
- Place the omelet in the center of the table, give a bowl of hot rice to each person, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add a few drops of lime juice or vinegar for a even more fluffier omelet.
Garlic Cilantro Shrimp
I love some good fresh shrimp and this recipe sounds as a perfect way to prepare them. Common ingredients is a bonus as well. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 500 grams medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup onion, finely diced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and cilantro.
- Add the shrimp to the mixing bowl and mix to coat all the shrimp. Cover and place in the fridge for 10 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan, when hot, add the diced onion and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice on the side.
Notes
I will price this next time I see the prices in Tesco. I will say Fair cost per serving for now.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Classic Chinese Fried Rice - Yangzhou Version
Sounds like another winner of a fried rice dish, on my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 6 cups leftover rice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1/4 cup Chinese ham, or regular ham
- 10-12 shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup carrot, diced
- pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 spring onions, slice, white and green parts
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large non stick pan and add the peas and carrots, cook until tender, remove from pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and when hot, add the shrimp, cook until just pink, remove from pan.
- Add the rice to the wok or pan, use your spatula and make a hole in the center down to the pan, add the remaining oil and pour in the beaten eggs, stir fry to mix together the eggs and rice.
- Add the peas, carrots, ham, shrimp, soy sauce, pinch of salt and the white pepper, stir fry to mix everything together.
- Add the spring onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the beaten eggs before pouring into the pan.
This recipe for Chinese Fried Rice - Yangzhou Version is from China Sichuan Food.
Soy Sauce Fried Rice
This comes from a good friend in China and this sounds really tasty. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed
- 4 cups leftover rice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1-2 cups cabbage, shredded, optional
Instructions
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large non stick pan, when hot, add the shrimp and fry until pink then remove the shrimp.
- Add remaining oil to the pan, when hot, pour in the beaten eggs, cook and scramble the eggs breaking them up as the cook.
- When the eggs are just cooked, add the rice, shrimp, cabbage (if using), soy sauces, and a pinch of salt. Stir fry well to coat everything with the soy sauces.
- Serve.
Notes
Low cost.
This recipe for Soy Sauce Fried Rice is from China Sichuan Food.
Shrimp Omelet
This is basically a Thai style omelet but without any folding, the filling is just mixed into the beaten eggs.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cooked small shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 2-3 spring onions, chopped, white and green parts
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- white pepper powder, as desired
- cooking oil, as needed
Instructions
- For the shrimp, cook them with any method you prefer, such as steaming, boiling, or sauteing. If the shrimp you are using are sort of big, go ahead and chop them into 3/4 inch pieces. For these, I just dropped them into a small pot of boiling water, when they turn pink, drain and drop into cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well, season with white pepper powder as desired. Get everything else chopped, here, everything ready.
- Heat a large non stick pan with a good splash of oil, hot but not smoking.
- When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, spring onion, and cilantro into the eggs and mix together.
- Pour the egg mixture all at once into the pan, it will puff as well.
- Use a spatula and lift up the sides to let the egg mixture run onto the hot pan. Cook until the bottom is set and golden brown.
- Flip the omelet over and cook until the bottom is now set.
- Flip one more time and serve. This was my dinner last night, can also serve family style and just place the plate in the center of the table and everyone can dig in.
Notes
Low cost.
Common method to make a Thai Omelet.
