Even though I would not consider myself particularly religious in the going to church sort of sense, I still recognize all the major holidays and festivals. Christmas and Easter are of course the main ones celebrated all over the World, by many people who are unaware of the actual significance, I'm sure, but Shrove Tuesday is always a good excuse to make pancakes. Aware that there is a cultural and culinary difference between what is known as a pancake in the UK and North America, I was surprised to learn that Neil and I also had differing ideas on what they should be.....
First, though, a Tom Ka soup that transported me back to Koh Samui. The curse of the cooked supermarket chicken hanging over my head again and all the crispy, flavourful skin having been devoured, all that was left was the dry-ish, bland flesh. As a usual automatic response, I thought of soup. A packet of Tom Ka paste winked at me from the drawer and a beautiful, fresh soup was in the making. At first in Thailand, I thought I would never get to sample either Tom Ka or Tom Yum, it being just too hot to consider either, but a cookery class fixed that as this soup was one of the dishes we learnt to make from scratch. Click here for some images and recipes from our class.
I have been in love with this soup since that class. The flavour is so bright and fresh, with chicken pieces, mushrooms and the hints of Thai basil and coconut coming through. In Thailand we made it with lots of chopped galangal, lemon grass and chilies which were inedible, but here everything has already been mixed and made into a paste and I make no excuses for using packet mixes. They are convenient, very tasty and this one is actually from Thailand. (I imagine many Thai people happily use them).
I love, love, love, love water chestnuts. I could eat an entire bowl unadorned. From a tin, some are incredibly crunchy and a little more transparent than the others, but once they have been braised in liquid, they all develop that crunch and fresh taste. For me, a Thai soup or curry is not complete without some water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, which I also adore. Recipe at bottom of post
Pancakes
The pancake above is my idea of what a British pancake should look like. Thin with pale brown patches and about 12 inches in diameter, these are the staple my parents would make. (My dad did also make a more traditional American style to sell in his shop, which were thicker, studded with currants, dusted in sugar and cooked on his hot plate). Watching a TV show on the morning of Shrove Tuesday, we discovered that the version we make in the UK are known as Pannekoeken by the pancake champions, the Dutch.
Folded in quarters, squeezed liberally with lemon juice and copious amounts of sugar, pancakes are delicate with a sweet, citrusy hit and 6 could easily be consumed in one sitting. I assumed this was the standard for the whole of the UK. Imagine my surprise when Neil commented on the fact they were too large, didn't rise and were too pale....
Neil's version of a pancake. For a man who reprimands me for any North Americanism I happen to say, these look suspiciously American to me! He also moaned about my use of fresh lemon juice instead of the Jiffy bottles we get in Britain, which I found amusing as I'm sure many people in the UK would be a little surprised to be given an actual lemon to squeeze over too.
Recipe : Tom Ka (For a recipe from scratch, click here)
1 packet of Tom Ka soup paste mix
Half a chicken cooked, (breast included), torn into shreds or 1 lb raw chicken meat
2 tbsp dried prawns soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
4 scallions, sliced finely
6 mushrooms, diced
1 chili, seeded and sliced finely
1 handful spinach
1/2 tin water chestnuts
4 sprigs broccolini, cut in half
1 tin coconut milk
water
1 tbsp shredded mint
red chili flakes
Heat 1/2 tin coconut milk in a pan over medium heat and add the packet mix. Stir well.
Add the chicken, prawns, scallions, mushrooms, chili, spinach, water chestnuts and broccoli and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and add 1 cup of water. Let simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked, if using raw.
Add the rest of the tin of coconut milk and let simmer for another few minutes.
Serve with the mint and chili flakes. (You could also garnish with cashew nuts, peanuts, Thai basil and cilantro).
Recipe : Pancakes
4 oz plain (all purpose) flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
7fl oz milk mixed with 3 fl oz water
2 tbsp butter
lemons or a bottle of Jiffy lemon juice
sugar
oil
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt and eggs. Stir well until incorporated.
Add the milk and water mixture and stir until smooth and batter like. (We had to sieve ours as it was lumpy).
Melt the butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds and add to the batter, stir well.
To cook, pour a very small amount of oil into a frying pan and swirl around then rub off with a paper towel. Keep the towel.
Ladle a spoonful into the pan and either swirl around to cover the pan for British style or leave as is for more American style. Flip when one side is bubbly with brown patches and cook the second side for a few more minutes. Keep warm on a plate as you cook the rest, using the paper towel to spread some oil onto the frying pan. Enjoy with a good squeeze of lemon juice and lots of sugar.
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