Like a lot of my recipes, ideas come from things that “I miss”.
I remember (back in the old days) my mother warming up some steamed rice and placing a few pieces of smoked mackerel on top. The heat of the rice would warm the smoked fish through. That resulted in smokey and fatty tasting flakes of fish, best enjoyed with some “Jeow Bong”. A remedy for a quick fix when you were hungry, or in our case, living on a tight budget.
Mackerel is much underrated. In my opinion it should get more attention on restaurant menus. It is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce cholesterol levels, but above all, its tasty and cheap.
When we think of smoking (no, not cigarettes, pipes or weed!), there are two techniques. Hot and Cold. Not only is smoking a way of preserving foods, it also imparts a wonderful aroma and taste.
Cold smoking basically involves applying smoke to food without heat. Hot smoking, as the name suggests, involves applying smoke and heat, thereby cooking the food.
Many types of ingredients can be smoked, meats, fowl, vegetables, fish etc.. Mackerel is a great protagonist because of its oiliness.
Smoking foods at home is pretty easy, just make sure that you have enough ventilation to avoid setting off your smoke alarms!
I use rice and a few other ingredients to generate the smoke, but if you can get your hands on some wood chips, even better!.
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Get the mackerel cleaned and filleted, make sure you remove all the pin bones.
Salting the fish draws out moisture and allows the smoke to better penetrate the flesh.
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Spread some salt flakes and some sugar on a dish and place the fillets skin side down, then sprinkle some more salt flakes over the fish and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, get your smoker ready. In this case I use a large pan lined with tin foil, this not only saves on cleaning, it also helps save the pan!
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To produce the smoke I use some uncooked rice, coriander seeds, star anis, ginger and some broken up cinnamon sticks. You could use wood chips or even tea leaves.
The pan is placed on high heat whilst I wash and pat dry the fish fillets.
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Olive oil is sprinkled on a dish and the fillets placed skin side down. This ensures that the fish doesn´t stick to the wire racks, the fish is then seasoned with a little salt and freshly milled black pepper.
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By now the rice and other ingredients are starting to release smoke. Scrunched up balls of tin foil will help support my wire racks.
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Once a good smoke is achieved, its time to lower the heat.
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The fillets are placed on to wire racks and carefully placed in the pan on top of the balls of tin foil.
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The pan is then covered with a lid. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes of gentle smoking to achive a juicy succulent fillet, which can be eaten immediatley or stored in the fridge for a few days.
On this occassion I am smoking them for a little longer because I have other uses for the mackerel.
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These fillets have been smoked for 10 minutes, which gives them a stronger smokey taste.
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Whats left behind is nice and charred. Preparing the pan lined with foil makes cleaning so much easier, and is much kinder to your pan.
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The fillets are allowed to cool then flaked.
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I wanted to make some “Rillettes”, so some finely chopped shallots and garlic are sweated in a pan with some butter. Once translucant, the mackerel flakes are added.
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After a minute or so of stirring, I added some (well, quite a bit) of butter. Once the butter had melted, I added a few spoonfuls of stock, made from the mackerel bones and some chopped fresh coriander.
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Everything is gently stirred until well combined, then removed from the pan and allowed to cool before being chilled.
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Later it is served up with some Cashew, Hibiscus and Nori Cheese with some toasts as a small starter.
It tasted so good (though I would say that!), I even caught the Service staff sneaking a few pieces…..
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I am watching you!
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From Honeybees to Pepperwood, Creative Lao Cooking with Friends is the cookbook from Makphet Restaurant in Vientiane, Laos.
I have mentioned the restaurant in a few of my previous posts because I think that it is an important place. It´s not only a place that serves good clean food, it´s also a training restaurant.
The restaurant is part of the Friends-International Peuan Mit (meaning “friends” in Lao) Project. As well as the restaurant they also have the Peuan Mit Garage. Free training is provided for young people in both these outlets and graduates are supported to find employment once they have completed their training.
The organisation also runs a mobile school which provides classes in Vientiane and its suburbs. There is also a Centre (provided by the Lao Government) which provides remedial classes, hygiene facilities, recreational workshops (art, dance, drama, sport) emergency shelter, life-skills education and counselling sessions to children and youth.
You can tell from the front cover that the contents inside will be colourful. Indeed the pages are adorned with colourful paintings and photographs.
The recipes are not just a collection of dishes from the restaurant, in fact the team led by Gustav Auer (himself also a chef, so you definitely know there’s a “labour of love” involved), travelled across Laos, from the northern tip to the southern boarders, visiting various regions and provinces to capture and record food from diverse ethnic groups.
Apart from the photographs of the dishes, there is also an array of photos from their travels through Laos depicting glorious shots of the countryside, markets and people, especially smiling happy children.
The recipes are divided in to 6 sections. there is also a short illustrated guide to herbs and spices.
The first section is about Dips, also known as “Jeow” in Lao.
No Lao meal would be complete without one form of Jeow. They must have encountered 100´s of different Jeow´s along their travels! You would have to dedicate an entire book on Laotian Dips if you wanted to present them all! (Maybe that’s not such a bad idea!). 
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A recipe for one of my favourites, Jeow Bong is also included.
There is nothing better than some sticky rice and a spicy/sweet Jeow Bong. Yum!
The recipes are easy to follow and are also translated in to Lao.
Some other Jeows included in this chapter, to name a few include:
- Grilled Tomato, Garlic and Shallot Dip (Jeow Maklen)
- Grilled Eggplant Dip (Jeow Mak Keua)
- Hmong Style Wild Mushroom and Chili Dip (Jeow Hed Hmong)
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The next chapter is dedicated to Salads and Laap.
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Everyone enjoys a good Laap dish, whether its main ingredient is beef, chicken, pork or seafood. These dishes are light, healthy and best of all, spicy and herby…
Some notable recipes included in this chapter include:
- Banana Flower Tofu and Mushroom Laap with Soy and Lime Dressing (Laap Taohou)
- Lao Famous Spicy Green Papaya Salad (Tum Mak Hoong)
- Spicy Crispy Rice Dumplings and Pork Sausage Salad with coconut (Naem Khao)
- Mekong River Fish and Banana Flower Laap with Young Galangal (Goi Pa).
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The recipe for the Tum Mak Hoong started off a very long conversation between myself and the rest of the team. It seems that “everyone´s mother” makes the “best” Papaya Salad!!!
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The next chapter looks at Soups and Curries.
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Soups remind me of the Noodles Stalls selling steaming bowls of soup, available to “eat in” or “take away” in plastic bags!
Curries remind me of good homely cooking. Slow cooking.
Some notable dishes included in this chapter are:
- Curried Fish and Coconut Soup with Rice Noodles (Mee Gah Thi)
- Luang Prabang Style Rice Noodle Soup with pork and Tomatoes (Khao Soi Luang Prabang)
- Savannakhet Style Fish Dumpling and Rice Noodle Soup (Khao Peak Pa)
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The next section gives you a 3 in 1.
Grill, Steam, Fry.
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Grilling, Steaming and Frying are the most common forms of cooking in Laos.
Grilling over an open fire fuelled by wood or charcoal releases wonderful aromas. Steaming offers a healthy variety of possibilities, especially fish and vegetables. Frying, either by Wok or Deep Frying offers a quick way to prepare ingredients.
Some wonderful dishes in this section include:
- Spiced Lao Pork Sausages (Sai Oua)
- Steamed Green Vegetables, Herb and Mushroom Salad with Padek and Sesame Dressing (Soup Phak)
- (the fantastically named and looking) Amok with Young Honeybee Larvae and Quail Eggs (Mok Taw On)
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Thereafter we move on to Sweets.
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Each province in Laos offers her own tempting selections.
There is a reason why this section is not entitled “Desserts”.
Sweets are enjoyed in Laos as a snack throughout the day. Lao meals are typically finished with some fresh fruit rather than a sweet dish.
Some tempting dishes in this chapter include:
- Pandan Scented Sago with Mango and Sweet Coconut Milk (Sakoo Baitoey)
- Steamed Sticky Rice Cakes with Bananas and Coconut (Khao Tom)
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The final section looks at Chilled Temptations that include some cooled drinks and cocktails that are on offer in the restaurant.
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I was going to count the number of photographs that appear in the cookbook but gave up after the Dip Section (more than 100 so far!).
The photos posted above are not so clear, the reason is my scanner is old and very slow, but believe me, the book is very vibrant!
It looks like the results of the restaurant team´s travels and hard work have paid off and the resulting book is worthy of being on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Laos, her cuisine and her people.
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Well done to Gustav and the team at Makphet Restaurant!!
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Needless to say, all proceeds from the sale of the book go back to the Friends-International Projects that help children.
Further interesting reading at Making Friends (cookbook) in Laos blog, and much better quality photos from the book at Friends Lao Cookbook Flickr Photostream.
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I am back in Spain after spending a week or so in London preparing for the YLS UK Charity Dinner that took place on the 26th June.
It was a good experience and judging from the feedback I received, it looks like people enjoyed themselves (or are they just being kind and polite?!).
It was also great to meet up again with former Laocook intern Emile who has finished her culinary studies and is currently based in Madrid. She flew over from the capital to prepare the pre-desserts and desserts proper.
The event was filmed and as soon as the footage (8 hours!) has been edited I will post the video here.
Whilst I was there I got the chance to visit a few restaurants during my spare time. The first item on my list of things to devour was Dim Sum. I have yet to taste good Dim Sum in Spain, so I miss it and was eager to get stuck in to some in London. Apart from the obvious MSG overdose, I was pleased with what I ordered (on three different days in two restaurants!!)(Steamed and Fried Dumplings, Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce, Fried Eel with Salt and Pepper (responsible for the MSG overdose!) etc…).
It wasn’t only Dim Sum that I missed, I also missed Roasted Duck with Crispy Noodles and Stir Fried Flat Noodles. The latter is sometimes called “Ho Fun” on most menus and refers to the fresh flat rice noodles that are cooked in the wok or enjoyed in a soup based dish. In Thai, “Sen Yai” would be the alternative.
After lunch we were taken to the local Oriental Superstore, where I love spending time looking at all the wonderful ingredients, fruits and foods that I cannot get in Spain. Those people who live in cities are spoilt for choice, and they don’t even know it!
In the chilled section I saw packets of the flat noodles that I had enjoyed in the restaurant. I was tempted to buy some and bring them back to Spain to be enjoyed either stir fried or in a steaming bowl of Pho. I thought to myself about freezing them? Though that would mean a loss in texture once thawed. No good.
At that moment in the cold aisle I decided that when I got back, and in “good ole Laocook fashion“, I would make my own.
Most of the projects that I undertake are based on things that I enjoy and cannot find here. Chili Oil is a good example, as well as Prawn Crakers and Fermented Pork (Som Moo) to name a few.
Though I am still working on my recipe, the current results are very good and look (and taste) extremely promising!
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The basic method behind these noodles is very easy. Like most homemade recipes, you get a great sense of achievement being able to make something from scratch.
I know that some people may think that there is a lot of work (and mess) involved to make such things in the kitchen, when the same things can be purchased “in a store near you!”.
But we all know that homemade “jeow bong” is far better than the oily stuff you see on shelves, or that even warm homemade pancakes drizzled with lemon juice and sugar taste better than the “heat in microwave on high for 30 seconds” stuff that you can find near the bread section of supermarkets.
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The 
recipes that I found for these noodles nearly all contained rice flour and water as their main ingredients. Thereafter it became a little confusing regarding what other flours to add. Some used tapioca flour, others potato flour, some called for wheat starch, all in different measurements.
Then it gets more confusing as wheat starch is not the same as wheat flour or corn starch. In some countries some of the names are interchangeable.
When it comes to basic recipes, its more or less a science with personal flair added.
Think about baking bread. The basic recipe calls for flour, salt, yeast and water. Any other additional ingredients added result in a different bread. The same applies to noodles.
I´ll go back to the basics and use just rice flour and water. Easy. All I need to do now is to add a few other ingredients and test cooking times, then Voila!
Once I have eaten my way through bowls and bowls of flat noodles, I´ll post the results on this blog.
Its not all been about noodles in the kitchens lately. Every now and again I run small internal competitions for the rest of the cooks.
I choose two ingredients and let the cooks come up with a dish that uses these as main protagonist in a recipe.
The competition is also used as an exercise for the cooks. They are judged on Originality, Presentation and Taste. I select a panel of 6 judges from the various departments in the hotel to give points for the above criteria.
Nearly all of my cooks from 3 (out of 5) restaurants enter the event!
It would take forever to post photos from all the dishes involved, so below you will find some of the highlights of the Pork and Onion competition.
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Former winner Reka gets her sauteing pan ready.
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Mise en Place is everything.
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Kittirat confits some potatoes with herbs and chilli in warm oil.
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This Spanish Iberian Pork has been slow cooked for 24 hours.
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The 6 judges have to award points.
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The participants begin their plating. The the slow cooked pork is presented with the confit potatoes that have been filled with caramelized onion, there is also a crispy onion “truffle”.
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On this dish pork and onion rolls are served on 3 types of crispy onions which will later have an onion and sherry reduction drizzled over them.
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This dish sees a roasted onion puree being used as a base of roasted Iberian pork tenderloin.
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Finishing touches and presentation are very important.
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The would be winning dish is put together. Courgette Cannelloni with Stewed Pork, Onion Puree and Spanish Ham Crumbs, Pork “Dtom Khem” Sauce.
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Junior adds his finishing garnishes.
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Junior is presented with his prize, a voucher for a stay in a different 5 Star Hotel!
Congratulations to all of the cooks to took part in the competition. You are all winners!.
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I don’t know what to call this small dish. Is it a Sushi Roll or is it a Fresh Spring Roll?
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It contains seasoned sushi rice and tuna as well as lettuce and rocket leaves and blanched crunchy asparagus which is all wrapped up in a sheet of damp rice paper.
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A sweet sauce tangy sauce is drizzled over the top.
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Because I couldn’t decide on the name of the dish, they were just served up as “Chef Specials” for a few evenings. The first night we served them as pictured above, the following evening we replaced the tuna with some spicy salmon tartare and on the third and final night they were served with king prawn tempura as the main filling.
These are rolled to order. Once all the elements have be prepared it only takes a matter of minutes from the time they are ordered until the time they are served on the table.
This next dish took almost a month to prepare.
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This is a slab of beef.
Its dark dry exterior is an intentional outcome from dry aging the cut.
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I agree that it doesn’t look too pleasing at the moment, but trust me “not all is as it appears to be“..
Underneath the dark, crusty facade lies a truly tender interior.
Dry aged beef is hard to come by nowadays unless you venture to a steakhouse that specialises in aged cuts, and around here in the countryside of Spain, there are none!
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I am an self proclaimed aficionado of steaks and am partial to a juicy bloody fillet, however with dry aged beef, there is no “juicy” as such. The texture is still very tender yet dense and concentrated at the same time, and above all, yummy!
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To cut a long story short, most beef you buy has undergone some form of maturing. There a basically two methods for this.
1. Dry aging.
2. Wet aging.
The latter is what is mostly available. The cuts of meat are sealed in vacuumed pouches which retain the moisture. This is the preferred method for most restaurants as it only takes a few days and there is no weight loss.
Dry aging by hanging or storing in a temperature controlled environment takes longer, and weight loss is desirable. The result is tastier cut due to the evaporation of moisture which results in a more “meatier” flavour. Tenderness is achieved thanks to the beef´s natural enzymes which further break down the connective tissue, hence the best pieces for dry aging are marbled cuts with a generous coating of fat, which also protects the meat.
Because all of this takes a long time, dry aged beef is not commercially viable for butcher shops, supermarkets or small restaurants. In my case it took 28 days.
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Firstly there is a lot of moisture loss, usually between 20 and 30% depending on how long the meat is aged. Secondly the outer crust needs to be removed.
For a reasonable portion I cut off a piece which weighed in at 707g.
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Yikes! I hear you think! 700g steak! This aint the Flintstones!
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As I said it needs to be trimmed.
The crust actually helps in the aging process. It can become moldy and fungal, which is actually a good sign.
However it definately needs to be trimmed off as well as the majority of the fat.
The surface of the steak is not moist, unlike a cut that is taken from wet aging.
Its not even damp, its just, just meat!.
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The scales now read 406g, thats 301g lost in trimmings!!
Now you can understand why dry aged beef costs so much in specialist steak restaurants and grills. But let me say, the taste is well worth the price.
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Here you can see the comparison between the steaks after one has been trimmed.
The original “slab of meat” pictured was aged in one of my fridges for almost a month.
The temperature was set at 4ºC.
Many people say that the temperature and humidity need to be carefully controlled, which in sense is correct, but I´m not a professional dry aged beef provider and do not have a fancy and expensive storage device. All I had was a very clean space that was infrequantly opened. I´m not giving anyone a recipe or method to dry age their own beef, I´m just showing you mine!
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These are all the trimmings from the three cuts. More than a kilo!!
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All that is needed now is a hot oiled pan and a good searing before the cut is popped in to the oven for 4 minutes.
4 minutes? Yep thats right. 4.
Cursed be the person who doesnt enjoy this meat cooked rare or bleu!!
Imagine dry aging a lovely marbled piece of meat for 28 days only to have someone ask for it “well done please”. WTF!
There is also no need for fancy sauces, be it black peppercorn sauce or the Laotian favourite of chopped chilies in fish sauce.
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All that is needed is a sprinkling of salt, after the meat has been cooked.
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And there we have it. A bloody yet un-juicy steak.
The flavour is beefy (real beef) with a hint of nuttiness and surprisingly a finish that has whisper of Stilton cheese flavour. I have to thank Chef Heston Blumenthal for coming up with description as I couldnt put any words for that “whisper finish”.
Such a serious piece of meat needs to be eaten slow. Savour every bite. Its not everyday you get to eat something that took 28 days to get ready.
My next post will be in July when I return from cooking at a charity dinner in London. It would be great if any of you can make it, if not you can also help by donating. Any amount helps. All proceeds go to help build schools for children back home in Laos, and help them build a bright future.
At this moment there are a few tickets available. You can find out more information by clicking below, at the bottom of the page you´ll find the donation button.
Hope to see you there!
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