By Chef Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
I have always been fascinated by the magical kingdom of Thailand well before my first trip to Southeast Asia some 7 years ago. It is a wonderful mystical country with a rich culture, a strong Buddhist heritage (98% of its inhabitants are Buddhist), fabulous foods and some of the most friendly and accommodating people.
Join our annual culinary expedition to this mystical tropical kingdom and enjoys its intoxicating foods and amazing spicy curries!
Being a professional chef who is always on the lookout for tantalizing flavours from all corners of the world my confreres advised me that if I was going to Southeast Asia and Thailand I should definitely try to include Singapore on my itinerary. I was told that it was the ultimate destination for a `foodie`. I took their advice and did indeed go to Singapore and it didn’t disappoint. The variety of cuisines to be found there is staggering, food is everywhere with delicious influences from Malaysia, India, China, Indonesia and many other adopted Asian countries.
Thailand had however corralled both my heart and my taste buds. It truly was love at first bite. The simplicity and rich flavours of Thai cuisine captured me instantly. Singapore seemed somehow more westernized and it lacked the , less formal atmosphere I found in Thailand where the tradition of fresh ingredients and their simple preparation is king. When you couple this with Thailand’s spectacular food markets found in almost every city and village in the country you have a match made in heaven. The food just feels more comforting and more approachable in Thailand. To this day I still have loving memories of a meal I shared with a Thai family in Central Thailand where I ate one of the best curries I have ever had sitting together on a straw mat in their thatched house. It was very prepared simply over an open fire in an old well seasoned and dimpled pot in their crude outdoor kitchen..it was truly a meal to remember!
Thai cooking has its origins in simplicity and the use of fresh ready available ingredients. The preparation is simple and does not take a lot of time with all dishes being served as soon as they are ready.
Thai curries are probably the most famous and most representative dishes of Thai cuisine they will vary to some degree depending upon which area of the country you are in. Curries in Southern Thailand tend more toward the use of coconut milk. `Sour` curries are found commonly, although not exclusively, in Central Thailand and in Northern Thailand the curries are often combined with noodles as they are in the famous dish bearing the name of Thailand’s northern capital, Chiang Mai Noodles.
No matter what curry you sample they all have their basis in a curry paste traditionally and painstakingly made in a mortar and pestle and then fried in oil to release all its intoxicating flavours before the addition of all the other ingredients. A curry paste will vary in its ingredients depending upon the curry you are making, but they will all usually include the following basic ingredients: shrimp paste, chillies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal and coriander roots. Additional ingredients and spices can be added and all have meat, fish or seafood as their main ingredient. Various fruits and vegetables can be included. their being is dictated by their regional and seasonal availability. Other extras such as kaffir lime leaves, holy basil (Thai basil, nuts and coriander leaves can be added as garnishes after the cooking process so as to maintain their freshness and flavour.
Thai curries and their hands on preparation under the expert guidance of local Thai chefs are highlights of our yearly 14 Day Global Gourmets Excursion to this wonderful country.
Check out our Daily Itinerary for this “Fabulous Foodie Getaway”!
THAILAND
14 DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 ARRIVAL AT BANGKOK
Upon arrival at Bangkok`s ultra modern Suvarnabhumi Airport we board our private minibuses and drive into Bangkok to check in at our hotel. Overnight at the Citrus22 Hotel.
DAY 2 BANGKOK (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we go to the famous Blue Elephant Restaurant for our Thai cooking class with one of their chefs. Lunch will be served at the restaurant. After lunch we board the Bangkok BTS transport system to visit Bangkok`s largest food market. You will marvel at the Or Tor Kor Market when you see the display of exotic foods. The rest of the day is open. In the evening we all meet for dinner at Madam T`s Restaurant and sample some delicious Thai specialties. We will stay overnight at the Citrus22 Hotel.
DAY 3 BANGKOK – DAMNOEN SADUAK – PHETCHABURI (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we meet our local guide and begin our day long trip to the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, the spectacular Khao Luang Caves in Phetchaburi, then visit The Grand Palace and Wat Arum back in Bangkok. Independent dinner.Overnight at Citrus22 Hotel.
DAY 4 BANGKOK – AYUTTHAYA (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we board our private bus and go on our boat up t the famous Chao Praya River for a day long cruise to Thailand`s second ancient city, Ayutthaya. After visiting these spectacular ruins we will cruise back along the Chao Praya River to Bangkok while enjoying a sumptuous
buffet dinner on board. Overnight at the Citrus22 Hotel.
DAY 5 BANGKOK – SUKHOTHAI (B, LUNCH ON THE PLANE)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we board our private bus to the airport and our short one hour flight to Thailand`s first ancient capital Sukhothai. We will be met by our private minibuses and driven to our hotel in Sukhothai, the Ruean Thai Hotel, a traditional Thai teak house. After settling into our beautiful rooms and perhaps a short dip in their amazing courtyard pool we board our air conditioned mini buses for a trip to the ancient ruins in nearby Sukhothai Historical Park. Independent dinner and overnight at the Ruan Thai Hotel.
DAY 6 SUKHOTHAI – LAMPANG – CHIANG MAI (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we will meet at the Cooking School to prepare some delicious Sukhothai specialties, including their famous Sukhothai Noodles. After lunch at the school we travel to the airport for a quick flight to Lampang in northern Thailand. Here we board a private bus and travel further north to the capital of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, where we will check into the Bodhi Serene Hotel. Independent dinner and overnight in the hotel.
DAY 7 CHIANG MAI (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we meet the instructor of the famous Chiang Mai Cookery School to purchase and discuss ingredients for our cooking class at the local market. We will prepare some traditional northern Thai specialties and enjoy the fruits of our labor for lunch. After lunch we meet our local guide for a visit to the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp where we will ride elephants and go on a bamboo raft in the jungle river. We return to Chiang Mai and meet for dinner at the Khaomao Khaofung restaurant. Overnight at the Bodhi Serene Hotel.
DAY 8 CHIANG MAI – CHIANG RAI (B, L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we meet our local guide for a day long trip north to Chiang Rai to visit the Golden Triangle where Thailand borders with Laos and Burma (Myanmar). We will stop for lunch and some shopping in Burma. After we return to Chiang Mai and meet for dinner at The Gallery Restaurant. The evening is open to visit some of Chiang Mai`s night markets.Overnight at the Bodhi Serene Hotel.
DAY 9 CHIANG MAI – PHUKET (B, LUNCH ON THE PLANE)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we board our bus and transfer to the airport for our trip to the southern tip of Thailand, Phuket. Upon arrival at Puhket we meet a private bus and drive to Patong Beach where we will check into the Renoir Boutique Hotel. Independent dinner. Overnight at the Renoir Boutique Hotel.
DAY 10 PHUKET – PHI PHI ISLANDS (B,L,D.)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we board our minibuses for a ride to Phuket harbor where we board our speed boat for a day long trip to Phi Phi Islands, stunning Maya Bay, and Monkey Island. Lunch will be served on one of the islands. We return to Patong Beach for a fabulous Thai dinner at the Blue Horizon Restaurant. The evening is free to enjoy some the fabled Patong Beach nightlife on Bangla Road. Overnight at the Renoir Boutique Hotel.
DAY 11 PHUKET (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we meet our instructor from Pat Patong Cooking School to visit the local market to discuss and gather ingredients for our morning class. Lunch at the cooking school. The rest of the afternoon is free for relaxing on the many beaches in the area (be sure to check out Paradise Beach if you want to avoid the crowds!). Independent dinner at one of the many fabulous Thai and international restaurants. Overnight at the Renoir Boutique Hotel.
DAY 12 PHUKET – BANGKOK (B,LUNCH ON THE PLANE)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning and afternoon on the beaches then, we board our buses for the evening flight to Bangkok. We transfer by private bus to the Citrus 22 Hotel in Bangkok. The rest of the evening is free. Independent dinner. Overnight at the Citrus22 Hotel.
DAY 13 BANGKOK (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we meet our instructor for our Amita Thai Cooking Class and cruise up the Chao Praya River to their cooking school where we prepare some exciting delicacies. Lunch at the school. The afternoon is free in Bangkok. In the evening we all meet for our farewell dinner at the Baan Khanitha Restaurant located in a restored traditional Thai teak house. The evening is free to take in some of Bangkok`s fabled nightlife and night markets. Overnight at the Citrus22 Hotel
DAY 14 BANGKOK – HOME (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we board a private bus for the airport and our trip home. We hope you have enjoyed this tour of Thailand and will spread the word to all your friends to join us on one of our future Global Gourmets excursions to this magnificent country in Southeast Asia!
Complete details on these culinary excursions to both Thailand and Viet Nam can be found on our website www.globalgourmets.ca
Homemade curry pastes, like everything else homemade, are more superior than the store bought variety, but if you must relent very adequate curry pastes are readily available in all the local Asian markets. As a sidebar, I heartily recommend the huge Kim Phat market on Taschereau Blvd just west of the Champlain Bridge exit on the South Shore.
If you are a newcomer to these fabulous curries and enjoy a little spice in your life these recipes will have you and your guests begging for more. If you are already a fan, welcome home and have fun preparing these two varieties and adding them to your lists of favourites.
All curries should be served with fragrant steamed jasmine rice.
Chiang Mai Noodles (Kao Soi)
Ingredients
600ml Coconut Milk
Pack of Chicken Legs and Thighs, chopped into bitesize pieces
1 tbsp of palm sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
500ml Chicken Stock
Egg Noodles (1 slab per person)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Kao Soi Paste
3 Bamboo Skewers
4 Dried Long Red Chilli’s
1 Cardamom Pod
4 Red Shallots, unpeeled
4 Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
2 tsp of Turmeric
2 tbsp Sliced Ginger
Pinch of Salt
Bunch of Coriander Stalks finely chopped
Garnish
1 slab of Egg Noodles, deep-fried
3 tbsp Spring Onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped
1 Red Chilli, chopped and deep-fried
2 Limes, cut into wedges
Method
1. First make the paste. Soak the skewers for 30 minutes. Soak the chilies for 15 minutes and set aside.
2. Thread shallots, garlic, ginger onto skewers and lightly grill for 5 minutes or so until the skin of garlic and onion are charred and the insides soft. Allow to cool and then peel the onions and garlic.
3. In a blender add the soaked chilies, the grilled items, a pinch of salt, a dash of water and coriander stalks and turmeric. Whiz into a paste. Add a dash more water if necessary.
4. Simmer coconut cream and add the paste. Top up with coconut milk, bring to the simmer again before adding the chicken.
5. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and some chicken stock. Allow to cook through for at least 30 minutes.
6. Check seasoning, add more fresh and/or dried chilli if necessary.
7. Bring a pan of salted water to boil and drop in egg noodles. Tease the noodles apart as they soften. After 4 minutes, drain and rinse of more boiled water. Add a splash of soy sauce and oil and mix well in noodles.
8. To serve, divide noodles between bowls and ladle the chicken curried soup on top. Garnish with the deep-fried crispy noodles, coriander, spring onions, deep-fried chilli and lime wedge.
Website: www.globalgourmets.ca E Mail: michael@globalgourmets.ca
