Topic: Tom yam gai -- request for recipe

[Les]

  And in the meantime I plan to send the recipe to Am, a former restaurateur and Thai chef who works part-time at the hotel, to see what her comments are on it.[/edit]

Sorry that it didn't work out for you Phil. But it will be interesting to hear what comments Am makes about this recipe. This woman is supposed to be a fully trained chef.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have this awful feeling, Les, that it's rather like BIR food -- give a practised BIR chef and a punter off the streets the same ingredients and the same recipe, and the two end dishes will be as different as chalk andf cheese.  I suspect that the Red Hot Thai lady's version is superb when she cooks it, but my lack of knowledge, expertise and experience are a major contributor to my failure to re-create it properly, whence my idea of sending it to Am to see if she thinks that it should work ...

** Phil.

[Les]

my lack of knowledge, expertise and experience are a major contributor to my failure to re-create it properly, whence my idea of sending it to Am to see if she thinks that it should work ...

** Phil.

Don't look at as a failure Phil, but a learning curve, Us amateur home cook's can't be expected to get it right every time, I know, I didn't. I suspect next time you will do a lot better.  Anyway happy cooking.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Much much better tonight, Les -- possibly v. close to Chef Rohan's standard.  Last night's stock, to which I had already added about 1 tsp of Mae Ploy Tom Yam paste, two more drumstick bones, then when they had had a chance to infuse the stock with their flavour, the meat from the drumsticks which had been marinaded in a little fish sauce, then for the last five minutes six more slices of galangal, six more Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, and some chopped coriander stalk.  Now re-heating what is left with some chicken breast for my second course

What I now think (and this will be viewed as heresy in Thailand) is that it would benefit from the addition of some sliced water chestnuts -- the galangal slices look so inviting, but are too hard to eat :  if they were removed just before serving, and replaced by sliced water chestnuts (which look very similar), I think this could make the dish even more attractive from the texture perspective.

** Phil.

[Les]

Good on you Phil, It can only get better from here on in,
Water chestnut's sounds like a good idea, after all a recipe is just a guide, not the bible.
   

[Peripatetic Phil]

Tonight I finally achieved my goal: