Plah Gkung

[kirra]

Plah Gkung
Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Salad

Hot-and-sour salads lie at the heart of Thai cuisine. There are so many different ways to make them, and even though they are essentially hot with chillies and sour with lime juice, the balance of flavor can be such that each is distinctly unique.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. medium-size shrimp
4-6 Thai chillies, cut into thin rounds
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. roasted chilli paste (nahm prik pow); recipe for roasted chilli paste
1-2 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste
1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. lime juice, to taste
1-2 tsp. granulated sugar, to taste
1 stalk lemon grass
1 shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly crosswise
1-2 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro, sawleaf coriander, or parsley
3-4 Tbs. coarsely chopped mint leaves
3 cups boiling water

Preparation:

Shell, devein and butterfly the shrimp. Give it a saltwater bath to freshen. (See below.) Then rinse thoroughly with plenty of water and drain.

Mix the Thai chillies with the roasted chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust to the desired hot, sour, sweet and salty combination. The sauce should be intense in all respects.

Trim off and discard the woody bottom tip of the lemon grass and 2-3 of the loose, fibrous outer layers. Slice stalk from the bottom end into very thin rounds, to yield roughly 3 Tbs. Place in a mixing bowl with the sliced shallots, coarsely chopped cilantro and mint leaves.

Blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 20 seconds, or until they turn pink on the outside but are not completely cooked through. Drain. The shrimp will be further cooked by the lime juice in the sauce.

Toss the shrimp while still warm with the herbs and the chilli-lime sauce. Stir well to coat the shrimp. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with mint sprigs.

Saltwater Bath for Shrimp:
Place them in a bowl and add sea salt and water to barely cover. For each pound, use one generous teaspoon of sea salt and half a cup of water. Mix with your hand for a few seconds to dissolve the salt and gently massage the shrimp. Set aside for five to ten minutes. The water will quickly turn grey and murky. Then rinse thoroughly in plenty of cool water to remove all the salt. Drain well. For stir-fried dishes, make sure they are not wet when you are ready to cook; if they are, pat dry with a clean towel.

Soaking the shrimp in their own element – sea salted water – helps perk them up, giving them a fresher smell, and when cooked, a crisp, succulent texture. Some that really have been dehydrated by prolonged freezing may even grow in size.

Notes:
In this recipe, the sauce combines a subtle roasted dimension from the roasted chilli paste with the heat of fresh chillies and the sharp sour of lime juice. Undercooking the shrimp helps them retain their natural sweetness and gives them a tender, moist texture. For a special, refreshing touch, slice a sour tangerine and toss in with the shrimp, herbs and sauce.

For a variation using jumbo-size prawns: butterfly the prawns in their shell and grill over hot coals until they turn pink, are slightly charred but a little undercooked. Arrange on a serving platter. Toss the herbs with the sauce and spread on top of the grilled prawns. Likewise, the seasoned herbs can be used on grilled lobster. Try this recipe also with squid, scallops, shelled mussels and clams and firm fish, or a combination of seafood. It is delicious with sea bass.