**Papaya Salad: A Refreshing and Spicy Thai Dish**
Som Tam, also known as papaya salad, is a refreshing and spicy salad dish that is a staple of Thai cuisine. It is made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, chillies, lime juice, fish sauce, and peanuts. The salad is typically served as an appetizer or side dish, and can be enjoyed on its own or with grilled meats or fish. There are many different variations of Som Tam, each with its own unique flavor profile. Some popular variations include Som Tam Thai, Som Tam Lao, and Som Tam Pu Pla Ra. This article provides recipes for all three of these variations, so you can enjoy the deliciousness of Som Tam no matter what your preferences are. Whether you like it mild or spicy, sweet or sour, there's a Som Tam recipe in this article that's perfect for you.
THAI GRILLED CHICKEN WITH THAI GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (GAI YANG WITH SOM TAM)
Steps:
- For the Thai grilled chicken: Spatchcock each chicken by placing it breast-side down on a cutting board with the legs closest to you. Use kitchen shears to cut down the backbone. Flip the chicken over and press down in the center of the breast to flatten. Prick the skin side all over with a fork.
- Add the cilantro roots, fish sauce, palm sugar, peppercorns, oyster sauce, turmeric, salt and 4 cloves of the garlic to a food processor. Process until all the peppercorns are broken up and a chunky paste is formed.
- Rub the chicken all over with the paste (including under the skin) and marinate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, cook the remaining 8 cloves garlic with the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, capturing the oil in a small bowl beneath. Spread the garlic on a plate to cool; reserve for serving.
- Before grilling, bring the chicken to room temperature for an hour. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil over the chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a double-burner grill pan over medium heat.
- Place chickens skin-side down on the grill pan at a 45 degree angle. Cook until marked by the grill pan, flipping once to create crosshatches, about 5 minutes. Transfer skin-side up to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
- Trim off the spiky top and the base from the lemongrass, peel off the first few outer layers and then bruise the stalk with the heel of a chef's knife; this helps release the flavorful oils. Using the bruised lemongrass as a brush, baste the chickens all over with some of the remaining garlic oil.
- Cook in the oven until the chickens are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes. For the last 2 minutes of baking, switch the oven to broil.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and then cut each into pieces. Garnish with the reserved garlic.
- For the Thai green papaya salad: Add the garlic, chiles, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice to a food processor. Process until a chunky paste is formed. (At this point you can adjust the flavor to your liking; add more fish sauce for a saltier taste, more lime juice to make the salad more sour.)
- Transfer the paste to a large bowl and add the papaya, long beans, tomatoes and the dried shrimp and 1 tablespoon of the peanuts if using. Mix together by hand, rubbing the paste into the salad, making sure to coat everything.
- Transfer the salad to a serving dish, making sure to get all the dressing. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts if using.
PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)
Award-winning chef Andy Ricker teaches you how to make the famous Thai salad as you've never had it before, with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. Bonus: Learn how to shred papaya the way they do at roadside stands in Thailand! We've never seen anything like it.
Provided by Andy Ricker
Categories main-dish
Time 45m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cut off both ends of papaya. Use a vegetable peeler to remove green skin. To shred the papaya, hold it in one hand and use a knife to rapidly chop long, shallow cuts into the surface (making sure all the cuts run lengthwise, in the same direction). Then, thinly slice off the top layer into a bowl. This Thai method of shredding results in papaya strands that are pleasingly irregular and rustic. (Once you get the hang of it, it gets easier and you'll get much faster, but another option is to use a peeler with a shredding blade.) Shred ⅓-½ of the papaya, about 2 loosely packed cups; make sure there are no seeds.(Reserve the rest of the papaya for a different use, or for additional servings of papaya salad.)
- Salad: Place the clay mortar on a towel to keep it stable. To the mortar, add garlic, chiles, and softened palm sugar. Using a long spoon (to mix) and the pestle (to pound), pound and mix the chiles and garlic to break them up, about 10 seconds. Add two quartered pieces of Key lime, and continue pounding and mixing just enough to release juices, 10 seconds. (From this point on, pound lightly to bruise the ingredients and release flavors; do not smash.) Add shrimp; pound lightly, then mix for 5 seconds.
- Trim the long beans and slice into 2½-inch pieces; you should have about ¼ cup of long beans. Add to the mortar; pound lightly to bruise, then mix for 5 more seconds. Add papaya, fish sauce, tamarind water, and lime juice. (To make tamarind water from tamarind pulp: boil 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp; let cool for 30 minutes; strain.) Use the pestle to lightly pound the salad to the bottom of the mortar, and the spoon to turn the salad over, about 1 minute. Add halved cherry tomatoes, lightly pound, then mix, 10 seconds; add peanuts and toss with the spoon. (Do not pound the peanuts, as they will release oil and make the salad greasy).
- Serve: Place cabbage wedge on the edge of a serving platter. Arrange papaya salad on platter and serve immediately.
THAI GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)
Steps:
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound chilies and garlic to course texture. Add papaya, green beans, tomatoe and pound 1-2 minutes longer, mixing with a spoon while pounding. Add dried shrimps, peanuts, dressing and mix well. Serve immediately with cabbage and lettuce leaves. Goes well with Thai style BBQ chicken and steamed sticky rice.
Tips:
- Use a sharp knife: A sharp knife will make it easier to cut the papaya and other vegetables into thin, even slices.
- Choose a ripe papaya: A ripe papaya will be slightly soft to the touch and have a sweet, fragrant smell.
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh ingredients will give your papaya salad the best flavor.
- Don't over-pound the garlic and chili peppers: You want to pound them enough to release their flavor, but not so much that they turn into a paste.
- Adjust the spiciness to your taste: If you don't like spicy food, you can reduce the amount of chili peppers in the recipe.
- Serve papaya salad immediately: Papaya salad is best enjoyed fresh. If you make it ahead of time, the papaya will start to soften and lose its crunch.
Conclusion:
Papaya salad is a delicious and refreshing dish that is perfect for a summer meal. It is made with simple, fresh ingredients and is easy to make. If you are looking for a new and exciting salad recipe to try, I highly recommend papaya salad.
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