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• Spice Club Newsletter • |
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July's Pick: Galangal
Particularly associated with Thai food, galangal is an important ingredient in many Southeast Asian cuisines. Alpinia galanga, known as greater galangal, is the variety most used in cooking. Lesser galangal, or alpinia officinarum, is usually found in medicinal applications. Both varieties were traded from the Far East to Europe as early as the 9th Century, as records show. The ancient peoples of India are known to have used galangal, as did the Arabs (the latter giving galangal to their horses for a boost of energy). Many regions of Asia took powdered galangal as a snuff for their nasal-cleansing properties. The different varieties of galangal are all members of the ginger family, sharing the same underground rhizomes and long, bladelike leaves. Greater galangal grows up to 6 feet with white orchid-shaped flowers. The aroma is reminiscent of ginger, but with a sharper perfume and a hot, clean taste. The texture of powdered galangal can range from fluffy to fibrous. Lesser galangal only grows to about half that height, and is hotter, but seldom used in cooking outside of select dishes in Indonesia and Malaysia. Fresh galangal can be purchased at Asian markets, and should be plump and firm. Store them the same way you would fresh ginger, garlic, and onions. Ground galangal is prepared by sun-drying the rhizomes for several days and tumbling them to remove skin and rootlets. Ground galangal keeps its flavour for up to 12 months with proper storage. Galangal finds traditional use in Thai soups, Asian curries, seafood dishes and sambal paste. It's a common part of spice blends such as Thai red and green curry blends, rendang curry powder, laksa spice mixes, and ras-el-hanout. |
Less Pungent Kenchur, a variety looking similar to lesser galangal, is a milder alternative to using galangal without losing out on aromatics. |
Enhance Enhance galgangal's sweet notes with clove and cinnamon; or play up the herbal notes with cardamom or dill. |
Non-culinary Use Ayurvedic herbal medicine uses galangal to boost appetite. It's also used as an essential oil in perfumes. |
Books that pair well with our spice ... |
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The windup girl
by Paolo Bacigalupi
Living in a future where food is scarce, Anderson Lake tries to find ways to exploit this need, as he comes into conflict with Jaidee, an official of the Environmental Ministry, and encounters Emiko, a engineered windup girl who has been discarded by hercreator
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The Pepper Thai cookbook : family recipes from everyone's favorite Thai mom
by Pepper Teigen
In her debut cookbook, the author shares more that 80 fun and flavorful recipes, along with stories about her early days in the U.S., learning how to cook Thai dishes with American ingredients and substitutes and what its like to raise and live with a famous daughter. Illustrations.
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Fieldwork
by Mischa Berlinski
Following his girlfriend to her new teaching position in Thailand, a young reporter takes a job with one of Thailand's English-language newspapers, where he becomes involved in researching the story of charismatic American anthropologist Martiya van der Leun, following her suicide in the Thai prison where she was serving a lengthy sentence for murder. A first novel. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.
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Rosa's Thai cafâe : the cookbook
by Saiphin Moore
Teaches traditional Thai cooking techniques and shares over one hundred recipes that offer contemporary twists on Thai fare, including ideas for salads, soups, curries, stir-fries, noodle dishes, and desserts
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Beach
A hand drawn map & rumors of a communal Eden lead young travelers in Thailand off the backpacker trail to a forbidden archipelago with an exquisite beach & deadly consequences
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Chicken Tom Kha Soup Yields up to 4 servings Ingredients - 2 cups chicken stock, unsalted, preferably homemade
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or half the amount of table salt
- 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless skinless, bite-sized pieces
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 12 thin slices galangal
- 5 makrut lime leaves, roughly torn into big chunks, center stems removed
- 3-4 Thai chilies, bruised or cut into large pieces
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar, or granulated sugar
- 5.5 oz oyster mushrooms
- 2 ½ tablespoon lime juice
- chopped green onion and/or cilantro, for garnish
- Jasmine rice, for serving
Bring chicken stock to a boil, then add salt and chicken. Let simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender. Add coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, chilies, about half of the fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse. Add the mushrooms, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Taste and add more fish sauce as needed. Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoon of the lime juice, then taste and add more as needed. Top with green onions and/or cilantro. Serve with jasmine rice as part of a larger Thai meal, or you can put rice in the soup and enjoy on its own. (Note: the herbs are for infusion only and are not meant to be eaten. Either remove them before serving or inform your guests.)
Source: Hot Thai Kitchen
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Cha Ca La Wong A fish dish inspired by Hanoi - 2 two-inch pieces fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 inch fresh peeled ginger, chopped
- 2 inches fresh peeled galangal, chopped
- 1 and ½ pounds skinless hake fillets, cut in 2-inch squares
- ¼ cup Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam)
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons chile flakes
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 ounces dried Vietnamese or Thai rice noodles
- 1 head Bibb lettuce, rinsed, trimmed, core removed, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium-large onion, sliced thin vertically
- 1 and ½ bunches scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 1 bunch dill, stems discarded, fronds coarsely chopped
- ½ cup each cilantro leaves, mint leaves and Thai basil
- ¼ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
- ¼ cup crisp fried shallots
Place the fresh turmeric, ground turmeric, ginger and galangal in a food processor or mini-chopper. Process until very fine, almost a paste. Transfer to a stainless-steel dish. Wash food processor immediately to prevent staining. Place the fish in a bowl. Rub mixture all over fish, remembering to wear gloves or plastic bags on your hands to avoid turmeric stains. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour. Combine fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, half the chile flakes, the lime juice, sugar and ½ cup cold water in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate. Place noodles in another bowl, cover with warm water and set aside 10 minutes until softened. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, drain noodles and add to boiling water. Cook 1 minute, then drain. Spread lettuce on a serving platter. Spread noodles over lettuce. Cover lightly with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap. Place oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and heat to a high temperature. Add fish pieces. When seared on one side, 1 minute or so, turn to sear other side, sprinkle with salt and remaining chile flakes and cook through, another minute or two. Remove to another platter. Add onions to pan and reduce heat to medium. When onions start to brown, add remaining garlic, stir, and add scallions. Stir again. Tuck fish pieces back into the pan and add the dill. Cook about 1 minute, just enough to warm fish. Remove pan from heat. Spread contents of the pan, including all the oil, on noodles. Scatter herbs on top, then toss on peanuts and fried shallots. Serve with sauce on the side
Source: NYT Cooking |
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Barberries In August, we're taking a bite out of a sweet, yet tart berry commonly used in Persian cooking, but it has a presence in European and American cuisines as well: Barberry. The August Spice Club will be available from August 5th. |
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