Fried small fish

Smelt (Dutch: spiering; Osmerus eperlanus) is available in the winter months December until March. No need to clean this little fish. Eat them whole. 

Dry the fish and sprinkle with salt. Keep cold. Mix 40 gram very fine flower and 40 gram corn flower. Alternatively: add some cayenne pepper. Coat fish with flower mixture.

Fry in very hot oil for 2-3 minutes. They should be crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. One recipe says to fry them for 1,5 minute, drain and then fry again for 1,5 minute. I'm not sure if this is really necessary. 

Garnish with persillade (parsley and garlic mixture) and lemon wedges. Serve with ice cold beer.

Spiering

Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School

The one day cooking class in Chiang Mai was quite interesting. The Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School is located on a former rice field just outside the city. The owners have transformed the rice field into a garden full of fresh ingredients. The recipes you practice are the standard dishes like a curry and som tam.

Ruamchok Mall, 204 Fhaham Muang District Tambon Fa Ham, Chiang Mai.

Back in the Netherlands I mainly made khao pad (ข้าวผัด) street food style, or specifically khao pad gong (ข้าวผัดกุ้ง). So with shrimp. Not fresh in my case, but dried shrimp.

Khao Pad Gong

The shopping list for Khao Pad Gong (ข้าวผัดกุ้ง):

• Rice (cooled)

• Dried shrimp (or fresh)

• Half an onion.

• Chinese broccoli. Also known as kailan. Chinese: 芥蘭. Asian spinach is also perfect.

• Garlic.

• Egg.

• 1 tbs Thai soy sauce.

• 1 tbs oyster sauce..

• Spring onion/scallion.

Prik Nam Pla Ra (chili in fishsauce น้ำพริกปลาร้า)

• Thai small chilli pepper

• Thai fish sauce.

• Lime.

When the wok and oil are hot, add the garlic to the oil. After 15 seconds add the shrimp. When the scent is well released, add a little less than half of the rice and toss well. Slide rice to one side of wok and crack an egg over wok. Mix the egg with the rice and then add the rest of the rice.

Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and continue to stir well. Add the Chinese broccoli and onion, stir for 30 seconds and finally mix in the spring onion. You can make the prik nam plan simply by mixing about three tablespoons of fish sauce with about five Thai chilis cut into pieces.

Squeezing some lime is optional. Serve immediately with lime and prik nam pla. Some black pepper works wonders.

Kao Pad Nam Prik Pao

A variation with three types of chili: nam prik pao, prik pon and prik sod). You need to buy a jar of nam prik pao (Pantai brand is well known). The steps are easy. Sauté garlic and roasted chili flakes (prik pon) in oil. Add rice and toss. Mix a table spoon of nam prik pao with fish sauce and toss. Add onion and toss. Add scrambled eggs and fresh chilis (prik sod). Add fresh spinach and/or Thai basil and toss.

Picked in the garden of Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School.

San phra phum (ศาลพระภูมิ) op de Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School. You have to please the local guardian spirits with offerings of lemonade.

Thai mise en place.

Snert

You will need:

500 gram split peas.
A piece of pork hock or ham hock [Dutch: hamschijf], about 500 gram, or two pig's trotters. Note: hamschijf is neither smoked nor cured.
100 gram streaky bacon [Dutch: zuurkoolspek], salted but not smoked, preferrably with rind.
One smoked sausage [Dutch: rookworst].
2 large onions, chopped.
1 large carrot.
2 leeks.
1 celeriac [Dutch: knolselderie].
2 potatoes.
1 bunch of fresh leaf celery.
Black pepper and salt according to taste.
2 litres of water to start with.

Serve with Rye bread ('pumpernickel') and slices of 'katenspek' (lightly streaked pork, first boiled and then smoked black).

How to make split pea soup

Start the day before. Wash the split peas, add 2 litres of water and bring to a boil adding the meat, excluding the 'rookworst'. Remove the thick layer of foam, which will form. Discard the water. Add clean water and bring to a boil again.

Cut the celeriac, onion and potato in small cubes; the carrot in 'half moons'. Cut the leeks 'cross wise', like a feather stick. Add all vegetables (but not the leaf celery) and simmer for 1,5 tot 3 hours.

Remove the meat and cut in small pieces and remove the bones. Pork hock contains an amazing amount of fatty skin. Perfect for an hungry 19th century farmer, maybe not so great for a 21st century city dweller. Discard some of the fat. Return the boiled meat to the pot.

Add the 'rookworst' and a handful of chopped leaf celery. Season with salt and pepper and leave overnight.