Bon Appetit Cook the Cover: Chicken Khao Soi

Each month, Bon Appetit welcomes readers to Cook the Cover - prepare the dish featured on the magazine's current cover and submit a photo and review. The editors share the photos in a Cook the Cover Facebook album and feature their favorites on The Feed. This may be my new monthly challenge for myself. In the past, I've enjoyed participating in The Daring Kitchen's monthly Daring Bakers and Daring Cooks challenges, and French Fridays with Dorie, but I like new challenges - especially those that will help me improve my food styling and photography.

Bon Appetit's March cover features three bowls of Chicken Khao Soi, a northern Thai inspired soup. When craving Thai food, I usually go to a Thai restaurant rather than preparing it in my own kitchen. I have made variations of Thai chicken or shrimp curry at home, but don't think I've ever made my own curry paste. The Khao Soi paste in this recipe is simple to prepare and has wonderful depth of flavor. In the future, I will use this paste in chicken or shrimp curry recipes in place of a store-bought red curry paste. The toppings add more flavor and texture. I loved the crunch of the bean sprouts and tang of the lime juice (I might even add the juice of a lime directly to the soup when adding the fish sauce and brown sugar). For extra garnish and crunch, I threw on some chopped roasted peanuts. I didn't use chili oil, but that would have added some extra spice to the fairly mild soup. I also like the idea of crispy fried onions or shallots for next time.

Can't wait to see April's cover photo and recipe!

Cook the Cover!
Steelite Craft Collection Bowls and Platter

A simple curry paste gives this northern Thai-inspired soup surprising depth of flavor - Bon Appetit

Ingredients for the Khao Soi Paste

Chiles stemmed and seeded; softening in boiling water

Paste ingredients ready to puree

Vibrant chiles and spices

Khao Soi Paste

Garnishes - I also added some chopped peanuts.

Chicken Khao Soi

Bon Appetit, March 2013

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Khao Soi Paste

4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded

2 medium shallots, halved

8 garlic cloves

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved lengthwise

1 pound Chinese egg noodles

3 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

1 tablespoon (packed) palm sugar or light brown sugar

Kosher salt

Sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, crispy fried onions or shallots, chili oil, and lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation:

Khao Soi Paste

Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25-30 minutes.

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons soaking liquid in a food processor (I used a Vita-Mix), adding more soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed (I needed about 6 tablespoons total), until smooth.

Soup

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add khao soi paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings.

***

French Fridays with Dorie - Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork

My original plan for this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork, was to adapt it for the grill. That didn't work out, but the final dish did end up slightly different from Dories's recipe. It still had the same basic ingredients, but I used the spices as a dry rub on pork tenderloin (in place of cubed pork butt), seared the tenderloin in olive oil and finished it in the oven (rather than braising), added green curry paste to the coconut milk, and used zucchini in place of celery root.

I started by seasoning the tenderloin with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, and I used the remaining spices (turmeric, curry powder, cardamom, white peppercorns, and coriander) as a dry rub. I seared the tenderloin stove-top, and finished it off in the oven. Meanwhile, I sauteed the onions, potatoes, carrots, and zucchini, and then added the coconut milk and green curry paste (I was unable to score lemongrass at our local market, but the curry paste does contain it), and let the sauce cook down a bit. The tenderloin emerged from the oven perfectly tender and slightly pink. Dorie suggests rice or egg noodles to soak up the sauce, and I went with rice.

Coconut-Lemongrass Pork Curry with Vegetables
Adapted from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours
Serves 2-4

1 whole pork tenderloin (about 1 lb.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/4 teaspoon mild or hot Madras curry powder (I used hot)
Seeds from 6 cardamom pods
6 white peppercorns
6 coriander seeds
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 small carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
1 small onion, peeled, halved, and each half cut into eighths
1 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
3 medium red potatoes, halved, and each half quartered
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon green curry paste
Cooked white rice or egg noodles, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind spices using a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle the spice rub over the tenderloin and rub the pork with the seasoning over the entire outside of the meat, pressing gently so the seasoning adheres well to the tenderloin.

In a large oven proof skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, searing each side using tongs to turn the meat. Transfer meat to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until internal temperature is 140 degrees F. Remove from oven, transfer to plate, tent with foil, and allow to rest while you prepare the vegetables (during resting, the internal temperature will rise to 155 degrees F).

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium high. Add the onions and potatoes and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and saute another 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, and stir in the coconut milk and green curry paste. Cover, and allow to simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes, and then add the zucchini and lemon zest. Cover and let simmer while you slice the pork.

For serving, place some rice or noodles on the plate, add the vegetable curry, and top with sliced pork.

***

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours.  As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!

The Exotic Cuisine of Thailand, featuring Grilled Duck with Red Curry Sauce

Our Coronado Concert in the Park Culinary Challenges continued last evening with The Exotic Cuisine of Thailand. Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly-prepared dishes with strong aromatic components, and is known for its balance of the five fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter.  A Thai family meal normally consists of rice, paired with several dishes designed to form a harmonious contrast of ingredients and ways of preparation. The dishes are all served at the same time.

I’ve said this before, but I find it amazing how our group always prepares such a harmonious offering of drinks, appetizers, main courses, and desserts. We've talked about trying to coordinate dishes and courses, but it's more fun being surprised as the dishes are unveiled on the picnic table.

Last night, our Thai spread featured a glorious balance of cocktails, wine, Spicy Roasted Coconut Cashews, Grilled Duck and Red Curry, Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns, Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Salad, Waterfall Beef, Pork Satay, and Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Sauce.

Alec & Nina started us off with a giant My Thai cocktail, made with light and dark rums, Disaronno Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, and pineapple and orange juices.  We sipped our cocktails and nibbled on John's spicy Roasted Coconut Cashew Nuts.

We had two grills going, one for my duck breasts and the other for Jim and Carmen's Pork Satay. I've been salivating at duck recipes for quite some time, and used this opportunity for Grilled Duck with Red Curry Sauce.  I served the sliced duck on grilled Sweet Potato Rafts, a presentation inspired by a photograph in Big Small Plates (my Grilled Duck with Red Curry recipe appears at the end of this post).

A few slices of grilled sweet potato...

Followed by a few slices of grilled duck,  and a spoonful of red curry over the top...

Plating and photographing in the park has its challenges, but we often have curious visitors standing on the sidelines...

Olivia stepped in as Jim's sous chef and helped grill the pork satay...

Kai presented two dishes, Thai Fish Cakes with a Cucumber Salad, and Waterfall Beef.  One of my inspirational bloggers, Jen at Use Real Butter, just posted a beautiful Thai Cucumber Salad recipe, here.

Mom, tempted by Elissa's Chocolate Marble Cheesecake with Coconut, Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime, ultimately opted for Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken and Prawns, a signature dish of Thailand.  With inspiration from Almost Bourdain's recipe and presentation in a beautiful pineapple boat, Mom made her own version with the addition of red bell peppers, green onions, and cashews.

For dessert, Carmen served Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Dipping Sauce.

Alec & Nina's Sonoma, and Kai & Hill's Olivia - our precious and charming girly-girls...

Olivia may be growing up a bit too fast, but she's learning to appreciate fine food and wine at a young age...now promoted from Jim's sous chef to our after-dinner wine connoisseur ;-)

A handsome sailor, from the Navy Southwest Band, belted out America the Beautiful....

We closed down Spreckels Park, and enjoyed every last drop of daylight...and Dean's wine!

John and I devoured the leftover Duck with Red Curry for dinner tonight. We added some roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, onions, red bell peppers, and peas, and served it over rice. On the spice scale, this is a 7/10. You can reduce the curry paste to 2 tablespoons if you're a bit timid. We like it hot, baby!

Grilled Duck with Red Curry Sauce
Adapted from Williams Sonoma
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp. light soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. salt, plus salt, to taste
6 duck breast halves, each 4 to 6 oz.
2 cans (each 13 1/2 fl. oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2 to 3 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
1 to 2 Tbs. Thai fish sauce
1 Tbs. palm sugar or dark brown sugar
8 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
4 red chilies, seeded and sliced
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil or sweet basil leaves, plus leaves for garnish
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large glass bowl, combine the garlic, granulated sugar, rice wine, light soy sauce, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, ginger, five-spice powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Using a fork, prick the duck skin at 1-inch intervals. Add the duck to the bowl and turn to coat evenly, rubbing the marinade on both sides of the breast halves. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, open the cans of coconut milk without shaking them. Spoon the thick layer of cream on top into a bowl. In a wok over medium-high heat, combine 1/2 cup of the cream and the red curry paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the cream is aromatic and beads of oil float on top, about 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, lime leaves, chilies and the remaining coconut cream and milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Remove from the heat and keep warm while grilling the duck.

Prepare charcoal or gas grill.  When medium-hot, remove the duck from the marinade, discarding the marinade, and place directly on the grill rack, skin side down. Grill until the fat is rendered from the skin and the skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Turn and grill until the duck is fully cooked and, when pressed, feels firm to the touch on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).  Cut the duck across the grain into slices 1/4 inch thick.

To serve, arrange one sliced duck breast half on each plate. Spoon the curry sauce over the top and garnish with the basil leaves.

***