KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Brrr... it’s cold outside.
Just when we thought that we had seen the last of the rains, the torrential downpours have returned again. After one such afternoon thunderstorm, my evening walk in the garden had me tiptoeing around what resembled a disaster zone, with fallen branches everywhere.
But it’s the cold that gets to us.
For it feels harder to stay warm, even with copious mugs of hot malted chocolate or bowls of steaming soup. The heat helps, then dissipates swiftly.
We need food that provides warmth, the sort that sticks around.
One approach would be to take stock of our pantries, to check what we have on hand that may offer the desired fire and spice. And that we shall have (though more on that later).
But another consequence of the icy weather is a distinct lack of appetite (for some of us, at any rate; others can devour all their meals whatever the weather, terrific or terrible alike).
We must tease our hunger back to life. We have to titillate our taste buds and intrigue our palate.
Here is my secret to accomplish just that: a dash or two of nam pla. This is the Thai version of fish sauce (the Vietnamese have nước mắm; the Koreans their eojang). The briny and delicately fishy flavour isn’t for everyone but it can lift up a dish, particularly with meat such as chicken, beef or pork.
The pungency, the funk, the savouriness — it all comes together to bring our jaded appetite back to life. And once we are ravenous, it’s time to pile on the heat.
This is where phrik nam pla comes in: it’s the quintessential Thai condiment or dipping sauce that has nam pla as a base and is further powered by bird’s eye chillies (what we call cili padi in Malaysia) and lime juice.
Rather than use phrik nam pla as a sauce, however, I wondered how it would work as a marinade. To tenderise meat but also to suffuse it with plenty of umami and heat before the cooking even begins. It’s the sort of dish that would chase the rainy day blues away.
So awaken your senses with aromatic fish sauce, fiery cili padi and zesty lime — and relish more of life, come rain or come shine.
PHRIK NAM PLA CHICKEN
Besides the pungency and saltiness of the nam pla, the make-your-eyes-tear-up spiciness of the cili padi and refreshing tanginess of the lime juice, there is one other key component of this dish: the aromatics.
Grated ginger and minced garlic. Fried shallots and fresh green onions. All these help to add layers of flavour and fragrance to the final dish, whilst also balancing the trinity of fish sauce, chillies and limes.
And, of course, hot steamed white rice. What we have here is a dish that calls for bowl after bowl of rice, to soak up all that precious chicken gravy. Waste not one grain, not one drop.
Ingredients
500g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, chopped
4 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
10-12 cili padi, sliced
Juice of 2-3 limes
2 large pieces of fresh ginger, grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1-2 stalks of green onion, cut into sticks
Fried shallots, for garnishing
Method
Place the pieces of bone-in chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the nam pla, cili padi, lime juice, grated ginger and minced garlic. Mix well so every chicken piece is well coated with the seasoning. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Place a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sesame oil and heat until fragrant, but before it gets smoky. The oil is ready when it’s lightly shimmering.
Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken pieces together with the marinade liquid to the pan. Don’t turn the chicken over for the first 3-4 minutes to allow the pieces to get some colour.
Once the chicken meat is partially cooked, add the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine and white pepper. Stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.
When the sauce has begun to reduce, turn off the heat and add the fresh green onion. Give it one more stir then ladle onto a plate. Garnish with fried shallots and serve with hot steamed white rice.
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