A Change of Eatery

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I have a good excuse. I spent the first two weeks of July traveling with my sisters in Thailand and Cambodia, which was an incredible experience on so many levels. Culinarily speaking, it was life changing.

Khmer food is generally less spicy than Thai, and- in my opinion, just as flavorful (even more so…I’m biased). Cambodians normally eat meals in several separate dishes with sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavors to get the best of all worlds and satisfy every millimeter of their palates. Not a bad concept.

Cooking up a storm with sisters in Siem Reap

I was able to take a Khmer cooking class in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I fell in love with Khmer Amok, a flavorful dish made up of fish, coconut milk, lemongrass, and lots of spices- to mention just a few ingredients. I ate this meal at least once a day while staying in Siem Reap. Additional food adventures abroad will require a follow-up post. Stay tuned.

So, in my class, I got to create my beloved Amok from scratch. My sisters and I made plenty of other fabulous dishes, including fresh and fried spring rolls, mango salad, Khmer curry, and several desserts with banana, pumpkin, green bean, and lots of coconut.

Fresh spring rolls

The final spread

If you can find the ingredients (I’ve been told that Adong Market in West Hartford is a good start) below is the recipe for Khmer Amok. I haven’t typed up the recipe from my cooking class, but found a very similar recipe online at Phnomenon.

Delicious Khmer Amok

• Ingredients : 1 lb fish fillets
  * 1/2 cup coconut cream
  * 2 cups coconut milk
  * 1 tbsp fish sauce to taste

  Kroeung (the spice paste):

  * 2 red chilies
  * 2 cloves garlic
  * 2 tbsp galangal, cut small
  * 3 tbsp lemon grass stalk
  * zest of ¼ kaffir lime
  * 1 tsp salt
  * 1 tbsp kapi (or any shrimp paste)

  Garnish
  * 3 tbsp kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly
  * 3 cayenne peppers or red capsicum

  Make the kroeung by pounding the ingredients in a mortar and pestle, working from driest ingredient to wettest. Slice the fish thinly and set aside. Slice the kaffir lime leaves and cayenne peppers thinly.

  Stir the kroeung into 1 cup of coconut milk, and when it has dissolved, add the fish sauce to taste and sliced fish. Then add the remaining coconut milk and mix well.

  Place fish mixture in a small bowl. Steam for about 20 minutes or until the coconut milk is solid, but still moist. Before serving, top each bowl with a little coconut cream and garnish with kaffir leaf and cayenne peppers.

  Serve with steamed rice.