laocook

What a week this has been!. We have been busy, which is good because it has kept us out of mischief.

;)

Saki, our Thai Sushi cook has been busy making our Sushi Balls, which are a great hit.

Saki originates from the North of Thailand, and speaks perfect Lao. I discovered Saki (real name Phayungsak) working in a Japanese Restaurant in Bangkok, and asked him if he wanted to the chance to work in Spain, and the rest is history…

Saki trained as a traditionalist, has learned to appreciate New Style Foods and is now very open to suggestions and the possibility of Modernising Thai, Lao and Japanese Foods.

When asked what he likes most about Spain, he replies the “Way of Life, and the Sunsets”.

We can see why…

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For the time being we must have one of the most lovely Car Parks that we have ever seen.

The roar of the engines is music to the ears, I must confess that I have never really thought that these cars were beautiful, until I saw them close up, every detail is intense, thought out and elegant. Being near these Iconic cars over the past few weeks has really opened my eyes. The cars are being test-driven each day by various Journalists, who can enjoy the thrill of taking corners on our curvaceous roads at 240kph. Hold on to your stomach!…

Ever wonder what one of these looks like from the “Inside”?

On display on pour Bar Patio is a unique dissected model.

A truly outstanding Automobile.

The Boot (Trunk) is in the front of the car, whilst the Twin Turbo Engine sits in the back. I want one of these….

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Our lovely friend Dara

from Lyon asked us for a recipe for one of her favorite drinks/ deserts. “Xung Xa” also known as “Che Ba Mau” is a drink/ desert closely associated with Vietnam. Fondly referred to as “Rainbow Drink”, (you will see why), the Lao Cook Team are a little divided over the recipe, as the Lao and Thai also have a simular drink (as with all SE Asian recipes, there are many different versions). But what we all agree on is the use of Sweetened Coconut Milk.

In our research, we have found that many recipes call for Yellow Mung and Red Azuki Beans, which must be soaked in water before steaming. Being in the countryside (Bahn Nork) of Spain, these ingredients are hard to come by. The Lao cooks prefer to use Grass Jelly (Black), whilst my Thai contingency like the texture of Lod-Chong (Short Pandan Noodles), or it could be vice-versa because I have seen the ingredients on my travels through both Laos and Thailand.

We are still in our Trial Phase of the dish, but what we have agreed on is that the Coconut Milk should be sweetened with Sugar Syrup and not Sugar Granules. We don’t normally like to release pics from the testing phase as the final presentation is always different to the practice runs. But seeing as Dara is has been waiting a while we decided lay the rule book under the table.

You could call this the Lao/Thai version, which includes both the Grass Jelly and Lod-Chong (homemade).

At the same time as we are trying to come up with what we consider the best recipe, minds are at work on a New Style Rainbow, which I have added Champagne Jelly to. We have been working lately with Champagne Tapioca, so I thought that it would be a great idea to try to incorporate that in to the Rainbow Drink. The flavour of the Champagne Jelly goes well with the sweetness of the Coconut Milk and the chewy texture of the Tapioca balls and Lod-Chong, you can of course omit the Bubbly, but I think that adding it opens the boundaries of Cuisine in general. Never be afraid to try anything.

The drink reminds me of the time I made a Tea Jelly with Banana and Piña Colada Foam, sadly I have no pics of the desert, but I can tell you that it was made in a Martini glass using homemade Iced Tea with Vanilla, and lovely Mousse of Banana and Apple Baby Food with Greek Yogurt (yes, Baby Food, its full of Vitamins and other good stuff) and topped with a refreshing Piña Colada Foam…hmmmm.

Talking about Foam, that gives me an idea about our new Rainbow Drink, what would happen if I used Coconut Foam instead of Coconut Milk?…hmmmm… Have to give that a go. Stay tuned for the final recipe when we finally get round to it…

Laocook Team has been busy lately and is proud to be a part of the new Porsche 911 Turbo Launch. Everyday we are cooking for International Journalists who have been flown in for the special event. The whole hotel has been taken over by the German car maker for the launch of the new model. The cars are beautiful, graceful and powerful. Today we can show you some Official pics that were taken of the cars in and around the village. At some point I will test drive one of these things myself.

Our White Villages and surrounding countryside are a pleasure to drive through, and Porsche have taken over some roads with winding curves set in picturesque settings to take advantage of the Twin Turbo Cars. Those of you who follow Motoring Programmes keep an eye out for the new car.

Last weekend, The Laocook Team were delighted to offer the Porsche Executives and selected Journalists from Asia a Laotian style Gala dinner. The menu went like this.

Mosaic of Sushi Balls with Salmon, Tuna and Seabass

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“Dtom Khem Gai” with Quail Eggs

Beef Larb with Roasted Rice and Herbs

Steamed Vegetables with Garlic and Soy Dressing

Fried Rice

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Gazpacho Sorbet on Coconut Sticky Rice

Below is perhaps my favorite pic.

The Lao Cook Team would like to share with you some fun pics from the last few weeks. After a long day, we unwind, big time…

;)

Sometimes, Laurene´s jokes are just too bad…

King, Laurene, me and Patty chill out after a long shift.

Kuchi laughs at the knowledge that it´s 03.00hrs and he has to be at work at 06.00hrs… He wasn’t laughing 3 hours later…

For Laurene, read Vincent Vega, for Patty read Jules Winnfield…. 

[Pulp Fiction] 

Vincent Vega:
[Y]ou know what the funniest thing about Europe is?
Jules Winnfield:
What?
Vincent Vega:
It’s the little differences. I mean they got the same sh** over there that they got here, but it’s just, just there it’s a little different.
Jules Winnfield:
[for] Example.
Vincent Vega:
Alright, well you can walk into a movie theater and buy a beer. And, I don’t mean just like a paper cup, I’m talking about a glass of beer. And, in Paris, you can buy a beer in McDonald’s. You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
Jules Winnfield:
They don’t call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?
Vincent Vega:
No, man, they got the metric system, they don’t know what the fu** a Quarter Pounder is.
Jules Winnfield:
What do they call it?
Vincent Vega:
They call it a Royal with Cheese.
Jules Winnfield:
Royal with Cheese?
Vincent Vega:
That’s right.
Jules Winnfield:
What do they call a Big Mac?
Vincent Vega:
[A] Big Mac’s a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac.
Jules Winnfield:
Le Big Mac. What do they call a Whopper?
Vincent Vega:
I don’t know. I didn’t go into Burger King…

Last night we made our Mosaic of Sushi. The Sushi is presented in Ball shape, to make it easy to eat in one go.

Saki, Kuchi and King have used Salmon, Tuna and Seabass.

To obtain the near perfect ball shape, the morsels of fish are laid on Cling Film, a small amount of Rice is added, then we carefully twist the film around the fish and rice to create small spheres. The Sushi Ball is kept cool until needed.

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We like to serve small Pots of Vegetables with our dishes, below Kham prepares the evenings garnishes.

Just before serving, we add some Garlic Oil and Soy Sauce.

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Everyone likes Spring Rolls, especially our Mini Rolls, we we like to serve as Amuse Bouche. We have a large collection of Mini Rolls with different fillings. Depending on what we are serving the Mini Rolls can consists of Vegetables and Vermicelli, Chicken and Baby Carrots, Crab and Chives, Lobster with Coriander etc… It takes a deft hand to make all the rolls the same size.

Toon & Peng present our Mini Rolls which were enjoyed with Juve y Camps Reserva de la Familia Cava. 

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New Style “Dtom Khem”.

We have taken a childhood favourite and reshaped it. I have used Eel as I find the texture interesting. Its a nasty job to clean the eels, especially when they arrive alive. A good job then that Saki is quick with his hands. We have slow roasted the Eel with Sweet Soy Sauce and Sake.

Eel is a very fatty tasting fish and contains huge amounts of natural gelatin, (I miss Jellied Eels, those viewers from the UK will understand). Like other fatty ingredients (e.g. Foie Gras), Eels are best served with a sour or sweet accompaniments. Thats when I thought of “Dtom Khem”.

We took a simple “Dtom Khem” of Chicken as a base. I removed the pieces of meat, clarified the sauce, reduced it, added some Sherry and Star Anise and made a jelly. The sweetness of the jelly is a contrast to the heaviness of the Eel.

The mashed Eel meat sits on top of its gelatinous skin, we have mixed in a little Vinegar to balance the taste. A “Dtom Khem” Quail Eggs rests on top. To add a crunchiness to the dish, a Mini Roll sits aside the fish whilst the “Dtom Khem” Jelly is served in a spoon.

The “clearness” of the jelly is achieved by Clarifying. To do this, simply remove the meat from the “Dtom Khem” and set aside for another dish, slowly bring the liquid to a boil, add a dash of Sherry and a few Star Anise, simmer until reduced by a third, adjust seasoning if too salty. Strain through a sieve lined with a damp clean cheesecloth. Mix 2 or 3 egg whites with some cold water and add to the strained liquid. Over a moderate heat, bring the liquid back to the boil, when boiling remove from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes. What happens now is that the egg whites will cook and rise to the surface, collecting most traces of “debris” along the way and “clean” the stock. Remove the now cooked egg whites and pass though another sieve lined with a damp clean cheesecloth. What you will have now is a clear brown liquid, with all the taste of “Dtom Khem”.

Soak a Gelatina Leaf in a little cold water for 5 minutes until softened, remove from the water then add it to the warm “Dtom Khem” sauce, mix well and tip in to a mould and cool in the fridge for a few hours, when needed, carefully tip out the jelly and cut in to small cubes.