By John Barton, General Operations Manager for Dean & DeLuca Far East
One of the lessons I have learned on my travels is that some of the best food I have tasted is prepared simply and with the simplest ingredients. I believe food is at its best when it is not overpowered by as series of flavors fighting for attention.
There is no better example of delicious food, prepared simply than Thai cooking, which is heavily influenced by only 5 distinct flavors: Hot, Sour, Sweet, Salty, and Bitter. Most dishes combine these ingredients and the result is a very balanced and exciting taste. Every restaurant and street vendor puts little pots on your table that contain chili flakes, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and peeled limes, so you can reinforce any particular flavor.
Cooking techniques are also quite simple, with the wok and grill being the staple tools in any restaurant or food stall. The wok is used for stir frying, blanching, boiling and even steaming. It is a great spectacle in the evening to visit the famous street food areas and see these ‘Roadside Chefs’ turning out meal after meal with only a wok and metal spoon… Keeping their recipes simple certainly helps them to cope with the volume of business each one has to deal with.
One of my favorite dishes over here in Bangkok is Thai Sticky Rice with Mango. This dessert is so simple and yet absolutely delicious and takes little preparation and can be made in advance. For the best results, try and use Thai Mangoes. These are generally smaller than other mangoes, but have a more intense flavor and aroma. I would also suggest investing in a mango peeler, which makes the job of peeling and preparing the mango so much easier. The mango is combined with sticky Thai rice that has been steeped in a coconut milk mixture and then finished with a coconut milk topping.
The resulting dessert is a great combination of sweetness from the mangoes coupled with the great taste and texture of the sticky coconut rice. If you haven’t tried it, give it a go. I am sure you will not be disappointed.
Coconut Sticky Rice with Mangoes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 cups Thai jasmine rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 ripe mangoes
1 Tablespoon sugar
Method:
Steam the Thai rice in a Rice Steamer or Bamboo Steamer until soft and fluffy (should take about 45 mins, but check after 30 mins). While rice is steaming, mix 1 ½ cups of the coconut milk with 1 cup sugar and ½ tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Set aside and allow to cool. When rice is cooked, remove from steamer and slightly ‘fluff up’ using a fork, then add to the cooled coconut milk mixture . Stir thoroughly, cover and leave to stand for 1 hour.
Mix together the remaining coconut milk, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Set aside and allow to cool. Peel the mangoes and cut along each side of the seed, you should be left with two (per mango, 4 total) similar sized mango pieces. Cut into cubes and arrange on a dessert plate. Add the sticky coconut rice and then pour the cooled coconut milk mixture onto the mango. ENJOY!
