laocook

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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I cannot believe that we have almost reached the end of May! Wow, how time flies! Almost half the year gone already!

During the spring, the team and I have been busy in the kitchen preparing food for gala dinners, weddings and other big events. There is never a dull moment!

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Many diners got the chance to sample my Nhem as an amuse bouche, I even added slices of Som Moo, just like “at home”.

Another traditional classic, Larb Gai has also been served up, this time I added quinoa to the recipe. The texture is almost rice-like and it absorbs and compliments the flavour of the chicken salad. It looks like I´ll be serving more of this pretty soon.

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Our chicken supplier had thrown in a few boxes of chicken livers and hearts for free (how nice of him!). The latter was served up for the staff (yum yum) and the livers went in to a terrine.

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I also added some quail eggs and for a decadent touch some chunks of foie gras were also included. I like to use Pho stock to set my terrines as I think it lends another dimension to the dish.

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Another thing that had kept me busy was giving culinary classes. For the first time the swinging doors that separate the kitchen from the dining room were open to our hotel guests.

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Giving classes is not an easy thing, I take off my hat and salute all teachers around the world!

Great fun was had by all and I hope that the participants left the two day course with some knowledge and above all, a good experience.

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I also arranged an Introduction to Wine Tasting as well as Dining Etiquette. So much to teach within a short weekend! I´ll definitely organise another one of these events later in the year.

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One dish that I showed the class was my new Lao Salad 2011.

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This dish consists of all the ingredients found in a typical Laotian salad. The egg has been cooked at 62.5 degrees for 45 minutes and sits on top of sauteed ground pork that has been mixed with homemade Honey Coated Peanuts which adds a wonderful sweet crunchy texture. Herbs and salad leaves are dressed with an egg yolk based vinaigrette.

What excites me about this dish is that it will feature on my menu for an upcoming Charity Dinner Event that will be held in London.

Organised through the Young Lao Society based in London, the dinner is to help raise funds for SKL (School for Kids in Laos), a registered charity that aims to do what it is named after, build schools for children in my homeland.

The dinner will take place on June 26th in a riverside restaurant in London. Another dish that I will be preparing is:

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A Study of Goong Che Nam Pa in Textures. This is a reworking of one of our favourite dishes that has been featured on the menu since 2005 under various names such as Laotian Carpaccio of Prawns or its Spanish name “Láminas de Gambas Blancas”.

This version features raw and cooked marinated prawns as well as the “Crystal Shallots” and Nam Pa dressing and new additions like Solid Prawn Oil, Clear Tomato Noodles and Black Olive Powder.

These two dishes form a part of a special 5 course meal that will be served that evening.

The event will also feature a fashion show and live music as well as a Lao Night Market which will be selling handicrafts and textiles from Laos. There are also great raffle prizes to be won such as a 2 night stay at the hotel resort in Spain, Wimbledon tickets, private tennis lesson with British Lao tennis ace Anne Keothavong and other great prizes.

Limited tickets are available for the event for only 55GBP and all proceeds from the event will go to the charity. More information can be found by clicking the logo below.

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Please come to support us and have a drink with me after the meal!

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Happy New Year to all the Lao people around the globe, may you be blessed with happiness and health!

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In the kitchen this week I have been continuing my experiments with nut cheese, Cashew Nut Cheese to be precise.

Earlier in the week a small packet arrived and in this package was some Probiotics that I purchased online. Probiotics are basically friendly bacteria found in the body. I am not taking these supplements for any health reasons, I bought them to ferment my cashew cheese.

Though my previous and basic recipes for this cheese tasted good, adding the probiotics took it to another level. Its hard to describe the improvement, its like playing for years on a Playstation 2 then discovering the Playstation 3!

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It does take longer to make, but the results are well worth the wait.

I still soak my raw cashews overnight, then I blitz them with a small amount of water that has had two probiotic capsules emptied and dissolved in to it, then I let it ferment in a warm place overnight, in my case I just leave it in the pastry kitchen, which is always nice and warm.

Next day the paste is mixed with a little salt, onion powder and nutritional yeast flakes. Thereafter it is rolled in chopped almonds, chopped tarragon and dried hibiscus leaves, the latter giving the cheese a tangy sharp bite.

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It is then left to rest in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, which makes it easier to cut. It seems like a lot of work for a simple nut cheese, but like most good things in life, its worth waiting for.

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This week also saw me playing around with my Dtom Khem Ravioli. Having taken the elements of the original dish (Pork, Soy, Ginger, Sugar etc…) I had never found a way to incorporate the egg, which is normally hard boiled and stewed together with the rest of the ingredients. The long cooking time obviously makes the egg overcooked and rubbery. Well, I set myself a challenge to rectify that.

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A quail egg is cooked in a water bath for 22 minutes at 62ºC. It is then cracked out of its shell and placed on to a warm plate. The reason I choose a quail egg is because this dish is served as a starter, in small portions. If I was making a bigger plate, then I would definitely use a normal sized egg.

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The egg is hidden by three ravioli, browned butter and Dtom Khem Jus.

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Cutting in to the ravioli not only releases its sauce, it also breaks the quail egg. I´ll need to test this on a few more customers to get their opinions before I decide to fully incorporate the updated version on my menu.

Its not only me who has been experimenting this week. Reka and Leon worked on some Coconut Chocolate Sushi Rice.

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White, Milk and Dark Chocolate Sushi Rice.

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Sushi rice is cooked with sweetened coconut milk then dipped in melted chocolate and allowed to cool. The first idea was to serve it with freshly cut fruits “a la nigiri“, however, it tasted just great on its own.

It´s not all work and no play at the restaurant, to celebrate the New Year we had an informal lunch with some good old fashioned home cooking.

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True to the phrase that nothing should go to waste, off cuts of pork are marinated then deep fried and served as a snack.

These were followed by one of my favourite pieces of beef, the tongue.

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A simple marinade of soy sauce, garlic and black pepper followed by a searing in a hot pan results in a mouth watering dish.

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Overcooking the tongue is a crime. Juicy and soft is what it should be. Hmmm. Lovely.

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This plastic container contains Padek, this homemade fermented fish and liquid has travelled to Spain all the way from Vientiane!.

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Pungent, aromatic or just plain smelly?. You choose!

No Lao celebratory meal would be complete without a Papaya Salad!.

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Spicy!

After the meal there was music and singing, courtesy of Leon.

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Leon not only plays well, he also writes his own songs!

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Fun is had by everyone. Unfortunately there was no Beerlao to toast this event, however everyone enjoyed the local brew…

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Sokdee Pi Mai or Souk Dee Bee Mai or Chokdee Pee Mai. You choose, but you know what I mean….

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