laocook

We have decided to share with you some of our earlier work which I originally posted at Laoplanet.net.

Yum of Cuttlefish. There are tons of Cuttlefish and Squid to be found at the markets here. Mostly we like to score the slices of Cuttlefish and Wok fry them with Spicy Salt & Pepper. This time I had decided to cut the Cuttlefish to resemble Noodles (when just cooked just right, they have similar textures).

Vermicelli Salad with Tiger Prawn and Tamarind and Chilli Dressing. The sauce is a great clash of Sweet, Sour and Spicy. We remove the seeds from the Chilli before making the sauce. The Tiger Prawn is shelled, cleaned and simply wrapped in a Spring Roll Sheet, it is deep fried just before serving and adds a Crunchy addition to the dressed Vermicelli.

Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Tiger Prawns. The Sea Bass is a very fragile fish, and shouldn’t be served if overcooked. The Prawns have been slow cooked in Sake and Sweet Soy sauce, just until half cooked, otherwise like the fish, the texture will be lost if overdone. Fast steaming is the key to cooking fish, the water should be boiling rapidly, that way it quickly seals the lovely juices inside the fish.

Chicken Wings with 4 Sauces. This dish is an example of what Lao Cook Team is all about. The bringing together of Cultures and Recipes. The first sauce is a favourite of the staff, is a Laotian Tomato & Coriander Chutney (Jéow Mak Len), the second is a wonderfully aromatic Roasted Mushroom Puree, which is basically a New Style version of Jéow Mak Het. Japanese influence plays a role in the Miso and Poached Garlic Sauce and Red Sauce, made with Sesame and Peppers with a host of Sour Plums.

Dtom Khem with Spring Chicken and Quail Eggs. I still love a bowl of steaming rice with Dtom Khem, the sweet tasting sauce mixed with the white grains of rice were always a treat. Mostly made from Pork cuts, Dtom Khem obtains its colour from the caramelising of sugar, adding ginger cuts the taste and wont make the Dtom Khem overly sweet. We use Spring Chicken, aka Poussin, the meat is tender and absorbs the sauce flavourings well. Seeing as we use small poultry, it is only fitting that we add Quail Eggs to the recipe.

Our fascination with “Imitating” other foods continues with our Milk Udon with Pineapple and White Pepper Soup. Milk Jelly is cut to resemble Japanese Udon noodles, the sweet refreshing taste of the Pineapple (which is ice cold) is pricked with White Pepper “juice”, which adds an interesting concept to almost confuse the taste buds, you can taste the Pepperness without the actual presence of Pepper grains. This dish was realised with the help of our Japanese Pastry Chef, Akiyama Mansanori.

Akiyama also plays an important part in our Green Tea Parfait with Jasmine Mascarpone Cream. This iced desert is creamy and a little heavy with the addition of the Mascarpone, but sometimes you have to spoil yourself. It is made even more rich with the addition of Sugar Rings, made with Sugar, Water and Spanish Vinegar. This desert would later be changed and evolve in to our Green Tea Tiramisu, minus the Sugar Rings.

At the Lao Cook Kitchens, we all enjoy a nice soup, especially Dtom Kha or Dtom Yum. When I was younger, I had mistranslated Dtom Kha Gai for “Boiled Chicken Leg” on one of my Father´s menus, instead of calling it “Boiled Galangal & Chicken (soup)”.

Lately, I have been working on a New Style of Dtom Kha, and decided to omit the Chicken in favor of some Mushrooms and Broad Beans (Fava Beans), I love Beans, especially fresh ones. We are lucky to get a good supply of organic beans, that we shell and blanch briefly before giving them an Ice Bath, this method retains the glorious colour and ensures that the beans are not over cooked.

I have been experimenting with different types of Mushrooms and have found that Fresh Shiitake gives a nice balance of flavour as well as “Oyster-like” texture.

A good Chicken Stock is also needed, and I always use Double Boiled Chicken Stock, it gives the soup more “body”. I don’t add a lot of Coconut Milk, as I want the finished dish to be light, and the soup is strained before being used. When drinking the New Style Dtom Kha, the wispy head quickly gives way to the warm soup, which is both flavoursome yet gentle, as you get to the bottom of the soup, the slivers of Mushroom are introduced (they are lighter than the beans) with their slippery texture, when you reach the end, you will find the “al dente” beans.

 New Style “Dtom Kha”, you can see the Beans through the milky texture of the soup, if you look carefully, you can also see the Mushrooms resting above. To make the Frothy Head, use a handheld food mixer, spoon the bubbles carefully on top of the soup and serve immediately.

Sometimes we like to use traditional recipes and add a modern touch. I mean, that is what Lao Cook Team is all about…

Darly told me that she made some Chicken Larb (Larb Gai) this weekend, so I thought, “Why not do the same”.. :)

Larb Gai is great when minced by hand, pan fried and mixed at the very last second. As with all Larbs, it is a very simple dish that requires only good honest ingredients. I find pleasure in dry roasting the sticky rice, and then pounding it with a pestle & mortar, the aroma is subtle, but the flavour it lends to the finished dish brings out all the memories of home-cooking.

We serve our Larb Gai in small glasses, as an opener to the meal proper. I have used “Boniato Chips”, also known as Sweet Potato Chips, that have been thinly sliced and fried until its Orange Colour is bright and vibrant. It gives a wonderful texture when eaten with the mini Larb.

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We all love fish, and working near a Fishing Port, we always find ourselves with fresh and tender seafood, brought to our kitchens straight from the boats. Feeling a little homesick, last night I decided to make a Lemon Grass Bream, lightly grilled and served medium rare. I marinaded the fish in finely chopped Lemon Grass, with a touch of Thai Mushroom Soy Sauce and a dash of Sherry and Sesame Oil. The combination was very much East meets West.

The fish is served with Braised Cabbage in Sake, Coriander Oil, Trout Caviar and Marbled Orange Oil, which gives the dish a tangy twist. Never overcook fish as it will become tough and ruin the velvet texture that Mother Nature (or the fishermen) intended. ;)

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After work its always party time.

Laurene and Patti try their hand at the DJ booth.

BBQ´s at 2am are not uncommon.

As most of you know, Anouck is a Singer/Song Writer and Laurene´s sister. We posted 2 details of her photo-shoot pics a while back. Now we are glad to say that she has sent us the whole photo-shoot.

She is busy preparing her CD and the Lao Cook Team cant wait to get their hands on it. It is great that her music is modern and we are very proud of her.