From jbxyz@rcn.com Wed Oct 17 12:38:58 2001 Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 12:38:40 -0400 From: "Jean B." Newsgroups: alt.food.asian Subject: Re: Rich Lao Salsa [jaew bong] - recipe I always like to compare recipes, so here is another recipe for the same sauce. This version is from "Traditional Recipes of Laos" by Phia Sing. Jaew Bong (Bong Sauce) 10 dried red chilli peppers, grilled slowly til brittle (not burned or black), and pounded finely 5 small shallots, seared in a charcoal fire, washed and pounded finely 5 small heads of garlic, prepared like the shallots 2 slices galingale, finely pounded salt and fish sauce chopped coriander leaves 1/2 a strip of dried water buffalo skin, grilled til done, then scraped smooth, cut into thin small slices and soaked in salt water Pound everything but water buffalo skin together until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle with salt and add a little water. Mix, then add water buffalo skin. Taste and check saltiness. If too thick, add some warm water. This recipe suggests serving the sauce with Jee Sin Lod, which seems to be grilled beef--unseasoned. Jean B. Judy wrote: > > Quoted from "Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet," p. 39. > > This is an adaptation of a classic salsa from Luang Prabang, the old > royal capital of Laos. It is a beautiful, dark red-brown color with a > smooth paste texture. It is eaten with sticky rice or as a side with > cooked vegetable (such as Steamed Vegetable Plate, p....), or served > with mild dishes like Silky Coconut-Pumpkin Soup .... Traditional > versions include small chewy bits of dried water buffalo skin and are > hotter than this version. Flavors are rich from the grilled shallots > and garlic, spiked with citrusy, gingery galangal. This sauce is hot > but not fiery; for the traditional amount of heat, increase the number > of chiles to 10. > > 6 med or 9 small shallots, unpeeled > 1 1/2 c. garlic cloves (from 3-4 heads), unpeeled > 6 (or up to 10) Thai dried red chiles > 1 1/2 T chopped galangal > Several pinches of salt > 2 t. Thai fish sauce, or more to taste > 2-3 T warm H2O > 1/2 c. coarsely chopped fresh coriander > > Heat a cast-iron skillet over med-hi heat. Place the shallots and > garlic in the skillet & dry-roast until browned & blackened on all > sides, about 5 min. Remove from the skillet & set aside to cool > slightly. > > Meanwhile, place the skillet over med heat, add the dried chiles, & > dry-roast, turning & moving them frequently, until they start to give > off an aroma: they should not blacken r burn -- just heat gently > until they are dried out & brittle. Alternatively, you can roast the > shallots, garlic, & chiles over a charcoal or gas grill. > > Transfer the chiles to a mortar & pound them to a powder (discard any > tough stems). Add the galangal & a pinch of salt & pound to a paste. > Transfer the mixture to a small bowl & set aside. Alternatively, > place the chiles & galangal in a blender or food processor & chop them > as fine as poss. > > Slide the peels off the shallots & garlic & discard. Coarsely chop > the shallots, place them in the mortar w/ a pinch of salt, & pound to > a smooth paste. Add the paste to the mixt in the small bowl, then > place the garlic cloves & a pinch of salt in the mortar 7 pound to a > smooth paste. Add all the pounded ingredients to the mortar & pound > tog. Alternatively, add the shallot & garlic to the food proc. w/ a > pinch of salt & process. Add the fish sauce & 2T of the warm water & > pound or stir to blend well. THe paste should be very moist & smooth; > add a little more warm water if you wish. Taste for salt & add a > little more sat or fish sauce if you wish. Stir in half the > coriander. > > Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining coriander > over the top. Serve at room temp. Store leftovers in a sealed > container in the frig for sev. weeks. > > Makes just over 1 c. thick sauce. > > +++++++++++++++++ > > WHEW!!!!!!! my keyboard is sticky, so typing is harder! Must go > replace! > > Jimmy, the cookbook (which is huge & gorgeous; as the reviews on > amazon say, it will either make you grab your passport or your wok!!) > is about cooking along the Mekong river. I haven't done much more > than look thru it. You may have inspired me & planned my day/week for > me! It is organized by type of dish, not by country: sauces, simple > soups.....rice & rice dishes, ... poultry, etc etc. The country is > noted in the subtitle of the recipe. Do you have their "Seduction of > RIce: A Cookbook" -- that one is organized by country; also gorgeous, > but not nearly as grand in design! Also their "Flatbreads & Flavors: > A Baker's Atlas." I have both; haven't done anything with the the > flatbreads one. It's expensive ($40), so look for your best discount! > One of my troubles is that all my cookbooks look as if they've been > thru the wars; would be a shame with this one! > > Let me know if there is anything else you need & please send a CLEAN > keyboard!!!! :<> > > On Mon, 15 Oct 2001 17:04:32 -0700, you issued the following pearls of > wisdom: > > >Hello Judy, tahnk you for your response. The rich Lao Salsa sounds right. Do > >you happen to have the recipe? The book sounds like a great resource. Thanks > >for the recommendation. Jimmy. > >> > >> "Rich Lao Salsa [jaew bong -- Laos] "...It is a beautiful,dark > >> red-brown color with a smooth paste texture. It is eaten with sticky > >> rice or as a side with cooked vegetable..., or served with mild > >> dishes...." > >> > >