There was a Thai food truck back at CMU which I frequented for lunch, and because vegetarian selections were $1 cheaper, I usually ended up getting the strangely delicious Thai basil eggplant. I’ve never been a huge Eggplant Fan, but Thai cooking can make anything taste exciting and new! Much of this magic is due to the judicious application of fish sauce—that Shining Prince of the Condiment Kingdom. If you don’t know what fish sauce is, it’s better not to ask questions; all you really need to know is that it is (1) amazing-delicious and (2) in essentially all Thai entrées, including the “vegetarian” ones.
Anyhow, we got another one of those purple eggplant monsters in our CSA box last week, so we decided to try it out using a recipe from the internet. Because we also like eating MEAT we also prepared a quick chicken satay, and taking a cue from our favorite Burmese restaurant, we made coconut rice instead of the usual plain steamed rice. :9 It was all very filling, especially with Thai iced tea on the side. (After dinner I had an irresistible urge to roll around on the floor moaning “FAT FAT FAT.”)
Chicken satay
- 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips length wise and then chopped into long-ish chunks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking rice wine
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 6-8 bamboo skewers, soaked briefly in water
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and marinate for at least an hour (preferably two). Set your oven to broil with a rack in the center. Skewer the marinated meat and set on a cooking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Broil for 6-12 minutes, depending on your broiler, turning the meat 2/3 of the way through. Make sure it’s done all the way through before you serve it with delicious peanut sauce.*
Thai basil eggplant
- vegetable or other neutral oil
- 1 large or 2 medium-sized eggplants, as fresh as possible
- 1 bunch (about 1 cup) thai basil leaves, stemmed**
- 1-2 tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 0-4 Thai chili peppers (depending on your spice-tolerance), chopped
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Chop the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds and then into approximately triangular or cubic chunks. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat, add the peppers and garlic, and fry until garlic is fragrant and golden brown. Add the eggplant, stir, add a cup of water, and cover the wok for 5-10 minutes, or until water is evaporated and the eggplant has become translucent. If you run out of water but the eggplant has not gone translucent, add a little more water (science!). Uncover, add the sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce, and stir. Finally, add the basil and stir quickly to heat the basil such that it retains its color. Remove from heat immediately.
Coconut rice
- 2 c (dry) long-grain rice
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 standard issue can of coconut milk
- 1 1/2 c water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- cinnamon, to taste
Wash the rice under cold water in a sieve, removing as much of the outer starch as possible. Drain well. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes, or until rice has become translucent. Add the coconut milk, water, and salt, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low, simmering until the rice is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove it from heat, fluff it with a fork, adjust salt, and add cinnamon to taste.
Action shot! Hand courtesy Henry M. Cook, Fish Sauce courtesy Fish Sauce, esq., lack of baseboards behind oven courtesy Our Landlady.
* We used store-bought, but recipes for this abound on the internet. In a pinch you can make it by mixing peanut butter (pref. smooth, for this) together with fish sauce, soy sauce, etc. You should know what this tastes like. Also good with satay: Chopped cucumbers and red onion in vinegar.
** Thai basil is different from the other kind (which is referred to as “Italian basil” in the chaotic, swirling nexus of my mind). If you don’t know what kind you have, Thai basil is generally “more purple” than the other kind, which usually has no purple in it at all.