Nam Prik: Salted Duck Egg Relish

First of all let me start by saying this is an adaptation of a recipe from David Thompson's Thai Food.  If you're serious about Thai food and you're willing to spend the time sourcing ingredients this is my absolute first recommendation for a book (novices should start elsewhere, you won't find a canned curry paste in the book).

Now, on to the recipe; Nam Prik roughly translates as a relish, and are a wide array of dishes often eaten with vegetables or rice (or in my case pita chips), and this one is, in my opinion, the Thai version of egg salad, only deeper, richer, more nuanced, and, oh yeah, about as hot as the surface of the sun.  I call for the upper limit of chiles in this because that's how I like it, but if you don't like feeling like you've been sucking on a super nova you might want to cut this down a lot.

Ingredients:
4 salted duck eggs (available in some Asian groceries, these are salted and cooked duck eggs as you would expect), peeled and chunked
7-8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 t shrimp paste, (optionally toasted)
2 T dried shrimp, ground
16-20 Thai chiles (or 6 if you're a wimp)
2 T palm sugar
2 T tamarind paste
1.5 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
2 stalks of cilantro, stem and all (optional, but very nice)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth; if the paste is too thick add some water to thin it out; it shouldn't actually be as thick as egg salad.  Adjust for salt and sugar if necessary.

Scramble (Chex mix that's actually good)

For as long as I can remember the arrival of grandma's scramble was the herald of the holiday season.  It's really nothing more than a seasoned mix of nuts and cereal, but the end result is dangerously addictive.

2 lbs. mixed nuts, whatever your favorites are
24 oz of Chex (I use a mix of corn and rice, but using wheat for up to half also works)
6 oz Cheerios (I used to say not honey nut, but I find the salty sweet actually works)
12 oz pretzel sticks

Mix the following together:
2 C vegetable oil
3 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T onion salt, or a mixture of onion powder and salt
2 T garlic salt, or a mixture of garlic powder and salt



Pour the oil mixture over dry ingredients above in large roasting pan; the contents of the oil will settle, so stir frequently while pouring.  Bake at 250 degrees for two hours.  Stirring every 15 minutes.  You can also do this in a large stock pot which would allow you to just hold the lid on and shake it.

Citrus Cured Salmon

A bright citrusy salmon, perfect on a bagel with some cream cheese or as a starter for a fancy meal.

2.5 lbs fresh salmon
1/2 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
zest of two oranges and two lemons
1 T lemon juice
1 T orange juice
1/4 C grand marnier
3/4 C kosher salt

Mix the sugars, salt, and grated zest. Sprinkle half the mixture over the bottom of dish just large enough to hold the salmon (this is important, you want to keep the brine in close contact with the fish). Place the fish in the pan and coat with the mixed citrus juice and grand marnier, then add the rest of the salt-sugar-zest mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap then place a dish on top of the salmon and weight it down.
Refrigerate for two days. The salmon should be firm to the touch when done, if it isn't give it another day in the cure. When it's done rinse the cure off and dry the salmon. Slice it thinly when you're ready to eat.

Salsa

A basic salsa recipe; I like cilantro and love spicy food, so this recipe reflects that. The amount of cilantro could be reduced, and something less spicy than habaneros could be substituted (serranos or jalapenos).

Three good sized ripe tomatoes, roughly 4 cups
3/4 C onion
2 jalapenos
2 anaheim or similar mild green pepper
1/2 C cilantro
4 cloves garlic
salt to taste
3-4 T vinegar, cider or a mix of cider and white
habaneros to desired heat

Roast the tomatoes, jalapenos, and anaheims under a broiler until the skin browns and splits. Allow to cool, then remove stems and tomato cores. Process everything in a food processor, adjust flavor as necessary, and allow to sit so the flavor blend.

Sundried tomato spread

Another simple spread suitable for parties or just as a snack.

Blend together:
6 oil packed sun dried tomato halves
1/4 C goat cheese
2 T marscarpone (or cream cheese)
1 T fresh sage (chopped)

Olive spread

A quick spread for crackers or toast, perfect for parties.

Blend together:
1/2 C pitted black olives (good ones, NOT canned)
2 t olive oil
2 t balsamic vinegar
1 head roasted garlic
1 T Italian parsley (chopped)
1/4 t black pepper

Asian Jerky

A basic idea of an Asian style beef/venison jerky.


1 lb flank steak trimmed of fat and cut with the grain in thin uniform slices
1/2 C soy sauce
1/8 C Chinese rice wine
2 T honey (maybe more)
1.5 T grated ginger
1.5 t garlic powder
crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
0.5 T instacure (sodium nitrite mix or the like; I know some people claim nitrites/nitrates are bad for you, but they've been used in food for centuries, and I wouldn't want to take cured meat on a hiking trip without it)

Combine all ingredients and marinate for 24 hours. Stick in a dehydrator at 140 F until thoroughly dry and fibrous, turning meat and rotating trays once.

Hummus

Two cans of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
3-6 T tahini (very roughly)
lemon juice
olive oil
minced garlic
salt

This is a very basic recipe, just toss everything in the food processor and adjust to taste and texture preference. As a bit of guideline, make sure you don't go too light on the tahini; early on my roommate in under grad who taught me to make hummus accused me of making poor man's hummus when I didn't put enough tahini in (tahini is the most expensive ingredient). The oil is what you vary to control the texture; I typically put in less than restaurants do because I like mine thick enough to stick to pita and with less fat. Generally You'll want to toss in 4-5 cloves of garlic to start, along with several tablespoons of lemon juice, about 3 T of tahini, a healthy splash of olive oil, and a hefty pinch of salt. From there just keep adjusting until you have something the consistency you want (for me thick and spreadable, for your typical version more akin to a sauce) with a nice rich taste and just enough garlic to wonder if you should go find a toothbrush before continuing your date (I'll save you the questioning: you should). Serve with pita.