Authentic Thai Recipes by Andy Oliver for Singha Beer

Forget about generic Green Curries and rubbery Fish Cakes and get stuck into these authentic Thai recipes by Andy Oliver of  the incredible Som Saa popup restaurant.

(Obviously don't forget a refreshing bottle of Singha Beer to help wash it all down!)

Moo Ping pork skewers.../

These are THE classic Bangkok streetfood skewer, moreish sweet-salty pork, eaten any time of day, ideal with a ball of sticky rice. Makes 12 skewers Preparation time: 15-20 minutes Ready in 2 hours (including marinating time) Ingredients.../ 400g pork shoulder (make sure it has a little fat) 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed 2 tbsp coriander roots, chopped 4-5 cloves of garlic ½ tsp white peppercorns 50g of shaved palm sugar or golden caster sugar 1 tsp dark soy sauce 2.5 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 50ml coconut milk pinch of salt Bamboo skewers Method.../

1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 15 mins or so
2. Cut the pork shoulder into 1cm thick slices against the grain, dont remove too much fat.
3. Now in a pestle and mortar add the pinch of salt and pound together the white pepper, garlic cloves and coriander roots.
4. Mix in the palm sugar, dark soy and fish sauce and use the pestle to mix and dissolve the sugar, now stir in the vegetable oil.
5. Pour this marinade mix over the sliced pork and leave for around 1 hour (maximum 4 hours).  Thread the marinated pork on to skewers.  Slowly grill the skewers over charcoal for 15-20 mins, occasionally basting with the coconut milk using the bruised lemongrass stalk.
6. Serve with a large ball of sticky rice

Jungle curry with grilled venison and green banana.../

Proper Jungle curries aren't seen so much on menus over here in the UK but they are great.  Herbal, full of fresh vegetables and very spicy!  It's a really Thai taste. Serves 4 Preparation time:  1.5 hours Cooking time: 25 minutes For the venison.../ 600g of lean venison haunch or loin meat, trimmed of sinew or gristle 2 tablespoons of fish sauce pinch of white sugar For the curry paste.../ 1/2 cup long dried chillies (deseeded, cut into pieces and soaked in water for 15 mins then drained) 10 dry birds eye chillies (seeds left in, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained) 2 tablespoons grachai root, peeled and chopped (optional) 3 tablespoons sliced lemongrass, 2 tablespoons peeled and sliced galangal 3 tablespoons sliced shallots 3 tablespoons chopped garlic 2-3 coriander roots (or a large handful of ground coriander stems) 1 tablespoon gapi (Thai shrimp paste) 1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime zest (optional) 1 teaspoons black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon sea salt For the curry.../ 850ml of chicken stock 4 tablespoons of plain oil (sunflower or similar) 4 tablespoons of fish sauce Tiny pinch of palm sugar or golden caster sugar 1 large green banana or plaintain, pre boiled (see below) 2 tablespoons of picked pea aubergines 2-3 Thai bird eye chillies, bruised 2 Thai 'apple' aubergines, sliced into bite sized wedges Small handful of Thai long beans or fine green beans 2 tablespoons of peeled grachai, sliced into thin long strips Small handful of picked thai holy basil leaves, or Thai sweet basil leaves 5-6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves 4 or 5 stalks of fresh green peppercorns (optional) Method.../

1. To make the paste use a heavy pestle and mortar and add the sea salt, drained dried chillies and pound until smooth, now add the rest of the ingredients one by one, pounding until smooth before adding the next.   Once complete set aside for later (this stage can be done up to 2 days in advance).
2. Now grill the venison:  rub the meat with the fish sauce and sugar and charcoal grill (or use a griddle pan) until nicely coloured and medium rare (about 4 - 6 minutes on each side, depending on thickeness of your cut).  Allow to rest for 5 minutes then slice into bite sized pieces and set aside.
3. For the green banana, peel and slice into bite sized pieces and place in a pot of salted cold water. Once the once beings to simmer, turn off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes.  The bananas should be cooked but still with a slight bite.  Drain and set aside.
4. To make the curry:  add the oil to a pan place on a medium heat and gently fry the curry paste for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking
5. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce and pinch of sugar then the pea aubergines and kaffir lime leaves, simmer for 3 minutes before adding the apple aubergines, boiled green banana, bruised bird's eye chillies and fresh green peppercorns (if using).
6. Simmer for 3-4 more minutes before adding the sliced venison, grachai and basil.  Turn off the heat, taste to check the seasoning (add a touch more fish sauce if needed) and serve
7. Serve with jasmine rice and as part of a shared Thai meal

Long aubergine salad with soft boiled egg and prawn floss.../

This is a classic Thai salad normally made with long green Thai aubergines, they are impossible to find in the UK but if you can find long purple Japanese aubergines they will give this dish a great authentic twist. Serves 2- 4 as part of a shared Thai meal Ready in 30 minutes Ingredients.../ 2 large aubergines (or 4 Japanese aubergines if you can source them) 5-6 Thai shallots peeled and sliced thinly (can be substituted for regular shallots) Small bunch of spring onions, sliced finely Picked mint - a small handful of leaves Picked coriander - a small handful of leaves 3-4 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, sliced into fine strips 2 free range eggs 3 tbsp of dried shrimp (optional) 3 tbsp of fish sauce 3 tbsp of lime juice 1.5 tsp of shaved palm sugar (or the same amount of golden caster sugar) 1 tsp of roasted chilli powder Method.../

1. First grill the aubergines either over a charcoal grill, on a griddle pan or put them under a hot preheated grill until cooked, soft and skin is charred.  Set aside to cool.
2. Soft boil the eggs to your liking (I immerse for 6 mins in rapidly boiling water, then transfer into iced water to stop the cooking).  Once cooled, peel and set aside.
3. Make the prawn floss by whizzing the dried shrimp in a blender or spice grinder until it gives a floss or powder-like texture.
4. Make the dressing by dissolving the sugar in the lime juice, then stirring in the fish sauce and chilli powder.
5. Peel the aubergines and cut each one lengthways into 3 or 4 pieces, lay on a plate.
6. In a bowl mix the salad of mint, coriander, shallots, spring onions and kaffir lime leaf, add the dressing and then serve the salad and all the dressing over the aubergine on the plate, pouring the dressing over the aubergines. Break the soft boiled eggs in half and place on top of the aubergine salad.  Finish sprinkling over the prawn floss.

ABOUT SINGHA BEER.../ (https://twitter.com/SinghaBeerUK) Singha Beer [pronounced ‘sing'] is the first to be brewed in Thailand by Royal Permission in 1933.

The original recipe was created by founder Boonrawd Sreshthaputra using a blend of sweet, earthy and spicy flavours to perfectly complement the spectrum of flavours in Thai cuisine.  Owned by the same family to this day, Singha has become part of the Land of Smiles' heritage and pride over the last 80 years and remains the only beer to display the Royal Garuda, the national emblem of Thailand, on its bottleneck.

 Singha beer (5% ABV) is available in all good supermarkets with a RRP of £2.29 (630ml single bottle), £4.49 (4 x 330ml bottle pack).