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Learning to Cook Khmer Cuisine: Part III - Cambodia's National Dish: Fish Amok
by
Eva Thorne
Calificación: 4.0
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12-845525)%20was%20the%20opportunity%20to%20learn%20how%20to%20make%20Cambodia's%20national%20dish.%20Learning%20to%20make%20the%20amok%20was%20definitely%20the%20highlight%20of%20the%20class,%20at%20least%20for%20me.%20Fish%20amok%20is%20a%20sublime%20fish%20curry%20custard%20that%20is%20steamed%20in%20banana%20leaves.%20It's%20elegant,%20moist%20and%20flavorful.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20in%20many%20Southeast%20Asian%20dishes,%20a%20wet%20herb%20paste%20is%20the%20basis.%20Called%20kroeung%20in%20Khmer,%20it%20usually%20includes%20a%20combination%20of%20garlic,%20chilies%20of%20some%20kind,%20lemongrass,%20kaffir%20lime,%20garlic,%20shallots%20and%20other%20ingredients%20that%20are%20blended%20or%20processed%20into%20a%20thick%20paste.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOur%20instructor%20had%20us%20blend%20the%20ingredients%20the%20old-fashioned%20way%20--%20with%20a%20mortar%20and%20pestle.%20While%20more%20time-consuming%20than%20a%20food%20processor,%20I%20found%20the%20task%20to%20be%20satisfying.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen%20we%20added%20dried%20red%20chilies,%20which%20surprisingly,%20were%20not%20hot.%20The%20addition%20turned%20the%20yellow%20curry%20into%20a%20red%20one.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20added%20coconut%20milk,%20egg,%20fish%20suce%20and%20palm%20sugar%20to%20the%20kroeung.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20fish%20amok%20dishes%20uses%20a%20local%20river%20fish,%20usually%20one%20that%20is%20meaty.%20We%20used%20a%20firm-fleshed,%20large%20tiger%20fish%20that%20was%20cut%20into%20small%20pieces.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20put%20the%20fish%20in%20our%20individual%20cups%20with%20the%20red%20curry%20paste%20and%20added%20coconut%20milk.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20the%20tiger%20fish%20sat%20in%20this%20rich%20mixture,%20we%20turned%20our%20attention%20to%20making%20the%20banana%20leaf%20cups%20in%20which%20the%20fish%20would%20be%20steamed.%20Our%20instructor%20cut%20circles%20from%20the%20banana%20leaves,%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eflash-heated%20them%20over%20the%20electric%20griddle%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eand%20then%20showed%20us%20how%20to%20use%20toothpicks%20to%20fashion%20them%20into%20a%20cup%20that%20would%20hold%20the%20fish.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOf%20course,%20our%20instructor%20made%20it%20look%20quite%20easy.%20His%20cup%20was%20perfectly%20formed!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20took%20me%20a%20little%20while%20to%20master%20the%20cup,%20but%20I%20did.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20fish%20mixture%20is%20carefully%20poured%20into%20the%20banana%20leaf%20cup.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20filled%20up%20is%20placed%20in%20a%20steamer%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Ecovered%20with%20a%20lid%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eand%20steamed%20for%20about%2015%20minutes%20or%20so.%20A%20bit%20of%20coconut%20cream%20is%20poured%20on%20top.%20Then%20it's%20steamed%20further%20until%20the%20mixture%20is%20solid,%20but%20moist.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20took%20the%20fish%20amok%20out%20of%20the%20steamer%20and%20placed%20it%20on%20plates.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20turned%20the%20amok%20over%20and%20then%20wiped%20away%20the%20excess%20liquid%20with%20a%20napkin.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20added%20rice%20to%20the%20plate%20and%20served%20the%20dish.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBy%20the%20time%20I%20made%20the%20fish%20amok,%20I%20had%20been%20thoroughly%20immersed%20in%20Khmer%20food.%20I%20had%20eaten%20my%20fair%20share%20of%20noodle%20dishes,%20curries%20and%20rice%20plates.%20The%20fish%20amok%20really%20stood%20head%20and%20shoulders%20above%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20Cambodian%20meals%20that%20I%20had%20had%20the%20pleasure%20of%20eating.%20It's%20an%20elegant,%20rich%20dish%20that%20should%20be%20savored.%20I%20certainly%20enjoyed%20it!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20took%20the%20longest%20to%20prepare%20of%20the%20four%20dishes%20we%20made.%20It%20was%20well%20worth%20the%20effort!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EReading%20about%20how%20fish%20amok%20is%20one%20thing.%20It's%20entirely%20another%20to%20actually%20watch%20it%20being%20prepared%20by%20a%20Khmer%20chef.%20I'm%20sharing%20two%20videos%20that%20are%20fun%20to%20watch.%20The%20first%20one%20is%20of%20fish%20amok%20being%20prepared%20by%20Heng,%20the%20instructor%20at%20Frizz%20Restaurant%20in%20Phnom%20Penh:%20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ25gs2rFCI%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20second%20one%20features%20Heng,%20the%20chef%20instructor%20at%20Frizz.%20He%20explains%20more%20about%20Cambodia's%20national%20dish:%20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZBrgqxuLEI%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFish%20Amok%20-%20from%20Cambodia%20Cooking%20Class's%20Khmer%20Recipes%20Cookbook%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EKroeung%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E5%20dried%20red%20chilies%20(soaked,%20drained%20and%20chopped%20into%20a%20paste)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFurther%20procedures%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESlice%20the%20fish%20thinly%20and%20set%20aside.%20Remove%20nhor%20from%20stem,%20slice%20the%20kaffir%20lime%20leaves%20and%20cayenne%20peppers%20thinly.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EStir%20the%20kroeung%20into%201%20cup%20of%20coconut%20milk.%20When%20it%20has%20dissolved,%20add%20the%20egg,%20fish%20sauce%20and%20sliced%20fish.%20Then%20add%20the%20remaining%20coconut%20milk%20and%20mix%20well.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMake%20the%20banana%20leaf%20cups,%20then%20put%20in%20the%20nhor%20first%20and%20top%20with%20the%20fish%20mixture.%20(We%20didn't%20use%20nhor%20in%20our%20class.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESteam%20for%2015-20%20minutes,%20then%20put%20the%20coconut%20cream%20on%20top%20and%20the%20thinly%20sliced%20kaffir%20leaves%20and%20cayenne%20peppers.%20Steam%20further%20until%20the%20mixture%20is%20solid,%20but%20still%20moist.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMaking%20the%20banana%20cup%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFirst%20clean%20the%20leaves%20with%20a%20wet%20cloth,%20then%20dip%20them%20into%20boiling%20water%20so%20they%20are%20soft%20and%20do%20not%20crack%20when%20being%20shaped.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECut%20circles%2025%20cm%20in%20diameter%20and%20place%20two%20together.%20This%20is%20important%20as%20one%20leaf%20is%20not%20strong%20enough%20to%20hold%20the%20mixture.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMake%20the%20square%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20circle.%20This%20will%20be%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20cup.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen,%20put%20a%20thumb%20on%20one%20right%20angle%20of%20the%20square%20and%20pull%20up%202%20sides,%20tucking%20the%20fold,%20and%20pinning%20together%20with%20a%20tiny%20bamboo%20stick.%20(We%20used%20toothpicks.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMove%20to%20the%20right%20and%20repeat.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EContinue%20until%20all%204%20sides%20of%20the%20cup%20are%20held%20together.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}