laocook

Here is our LCTV presentation of the recipe for Som Moo Dorn. This differs from the normal Som Moo because whole pieces of Pork are used instead of ground/ minced Pork.

The video for our other version of Som Moo can be found here.

We would like to welcome Monique (now fondly called Monica by the Laocook team) to our kitchens.

Monica is a self professed addict to cuisine and is French born of Lao and Viet descent. Having completed an internship in a well known French Restaurant, she asked if she could join the A-Team and gain some Work Experience.

King explains the technique of cleaning a whole Tenderloin.

Monica appreciates the development of Asiatic foods. An ardent lover of traditional cuisine, she is embracing the creativity of modern cooking.

Asked why she wanted to join Laocook, she said it was because;

“I love the audacity of presenting Lao foods with modern presentation and cooking methods”.

Monica gets to grips with our Amuse Bouche of the day, Chorizo Puree with Maggi, Poached Quail Eggs, Crispy Bacon and Shallot Bread Crumbs.

Getting our Dried Star Fruits ready.

These will be slow dried in the oven until crispy and used as garnishes for our “sweet things”.

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Also this Easter Weekend, my Mother and Father took a few days off from their hectic schedule to join us us for a weekend, which meant a lot of eating and drinking…

If there ever was a good reason to eat out everyday, it is when your parents are here…. :)

No visit to Spain would be complete without a lunch at the Asia House.

Khamhoung and the rest of the team prepared a lovely lunch, using loads of fine herbs and veggies, Tum Mhak Houng, Som Moo, Larb etc…

Whilst the rest of Europe is experiencing cold storms and snow, we are enjoying the afternoon sun (and light breeze)….

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That evening we decided to make some Vietnamese Style Amuse Bouche for our diners.

Finger thin Vietnamese Style Fresh Rolls filled with King Prawn, Noodles, Egg and Herbs.

Served in Shot Glasses with Sweet Chilli and Jerez “Reserva” Vinegar Sauce.

Easy to eat. Just the way we like it… ;)

We all need Salt. I personally have about 15 types of Salt at home.

A good quality Salt shouldn’t taste “salty”. I know that sounds weird, but it is true. Spending a few extra Euros can reap culinary wonders, plus the Salt lasts ages.

On our 2 Teppanyaki Tables, we like to offer various Salts for sprinkling over our mini Beef Tenderloins (Fillet Steaks).

From left to right, Original (and perhaps the best) Maldon Salt, Tea Smoked Salt, Wood Smoked Salt, American Black Salt, and Rosé Salt.

Each Salt lends an individual taste to the finished dish.

If you come across a nice salt in your local stores, do pick some up, and you will notice the difference to the usual Table Salt variety. And you will probably thank me for it later… :)

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I have always enjoyed Octopus, whether it is used in Sushi or the extremely popular Spanish “Pulpo a la Gallega”.

I have already worked that dish once. That was more of a “fusion style” dish, but this time I wanted to remain faithful to the original ingredients, yet present it in a modern, yet Asiatic way.

One day, whilst working on our Padek Crackers, I went out for a quick lunch. As usual, I ordered a “Tapa” of “Pulpo”. It was then (as is many times, when you least expect it) that it hit me. Why not make a Cracker out of Octopus? I wasn’t quite sure whether it had been done before (I am sure it has somewhere), but it seemed like a good idea.

After several attempts, I decided that the best results came from skinning the Octopus before using it. Now let me tell you, skinning a raw Octopus is not easy. Slithery is the word that springs to mind!.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I made up a batch of Octopus Crackers, using the same technique as for our Padek Crackers, but increasing the weight of our 8 legged cephalopod to ½ kilo.

Next I decided to make a puree from the potatoes, mixed with Olive Oil and (the cooking) water. Paprika Salt added some colour.

The Crackers are wonderful on their own, but I always serve them with the Potato, like a homage to the original dish that I am very fond of.

Eggs come in all shapes and sizes. I like to use Quail Eggs because they are small and easy to eat. Gone in a mouthful. A perfect way to start a meal.

A great way to serve them is to poach them. After a brief plunge in simmering water, we give them an ice bath to stop the cooking. They can then be stored in the fridge until needed. Before serving, they are placed in to warm (50ºC) water, which is just enough to warm them through without further cooking the liquid yolk.

Bacon and Eggs.

A creamy sauce made from Smoked Bacon, Crispy Bacon and Poached Quail Egg. As I said earlier, gone in a mouthful. :)

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This week has seen us preparing Marinated Salmon.

I have got the recipe down to 1 cup of Sugar to ¾ cup of Sea Salt, plus pounded Jamaican Peppers, Juniper Berries, Pink and Black Peppercorns, and about two packets of Dill per whole Salmon.

The Salmons will now stay weighted down in the fridge for about 3 days. The end result will be a slightly sweet Marinated Salmon, which is great served on Shallot Toasts.

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Our “Amuse Bouche Mis en Place”.

Shimeji Mushrooms have a wonderful “woody” flavour.

They are lightly sautéed in Smoked Butter, which helps the flavour and texture along.

A few tiny drops of Truffle Oil adds an elegant touch.

We top off the dish with our new favourite ingredient, Black & Grey Sea Salt.

This small cold dish looks very clean and simple, and indeed it is.

The Pho Jelly is made with a clarified Pho Stock (you could call it a Pho Consommé). It is reduced quite a lot from its original volume, making the flavour more intensified. In its hot state it is sometimes served in small Espresso Cups with some chopped mint leaves.

Underneath is a creamy yet set Cauliflower Cream. The Fish Eggs add a smokey and crunchy texture.

We made one in a clear glass so that you could see the Cauliflower underneath.

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Other small dishes that we have been serving over the past week…

Wild Duck Rolls.

Wild Duck (shot on site) have been stewed in a mix of Sugar, Soy Sauce and Spices. The meat is more tougher than commercially available duck and that has an impact on our stewing time. The meat has a more gamey flavour and is much darker than its farm raised cousins.

Tuna and Goats Cheese makes a welcome return. This time we folded over the Tuna to make it easier to eat with chopsticks. The dressing has also been spiced up with a few drops of homemade Chilli Oil.

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We slowly warm through our sauces when an order comes in. Copper pans ensure that heat is distributed evenly. They are expensive and take looking after, but the quality of the sauces/foods prepared in them are well worth it.

I hate restaurants that resort to blasting their sauces in Microwaves. Taking shortcuts affect the quality of the finished product, and in my eyes, also cheats the customer. Controlled warming ensures that minimal flavour is lost, whilst blasting it only disrupts what Mother Nature kindly gave us to use.

Another crime that occurs way to often is overheating the sauce, or leaving it on the flame for too long. That just makes the sauce salty and unpleasant. Some restaurants warm their sauces at the start of their Service, which means that it is reducing throughout the night. At the beginning of the meal, the sauce would be marvelous, a few hours later it would be second standard.

Above you can see our Tomato Chutney for our “Ping Gai”, Lemongrass and Tamarind Sauce for our Pan Fried Fish and lastly our Peanut Sauce, which goes with our Satay´s.

I am always happy when diners ask if they can have another Amuse Bouche. One of our best tit-bits is our Cream of Ceps and Garlic with Shimeji mushroom.

The powerful aromatic flavour of Ceps are mixed with Roasted Garlic, smoked butter and cream. Chopped Chives partner the subtle Garlic taste. Small dots of Truffle Oil help the delicate Shimeji along. All is scooped up in two teaspoons, unless you ask for another one, then it is four… ;)

Another small piece that is doing well is our Sesame Octopus with Chorizo.

What looks like a small amount of Chorizo Cream actually packs an unexpected yet welcome punch. The Octopus has been marinated in Sweet Miso, wiped clean and covered with Toasted Sesame Seeds, which sits on top of a Dashi stewed Daikon slice.

There are so many individually made components to this small dish, with pieces coming from every sector of the kitchen. It is put together in seconds, buts takes a whole day to prepare. That is dedication. ;)

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It was Kuchi´s birthday last week, but seeing as we were busy, we never had time to take him out. So last night we decided to all go out and have a few beers and an easy meal.

King and Kuchi, with the first of many drinks…

No use in asking him “how old are you?”, he will never tell you….. ;)

Because Kuchi loves a good Nhem, we made up some Laocook Som Moo for him.

Now all he has to do is make the Nhem for us….