NAM KHAO TOD
Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling and drying time for the rice | Serves 4
Note: Adapted from a recipe from Kris Yenbamroong of Night + Market. Thacan be found in local Thai markets or well-stocked Asian markets. Fermented Thai sausage is uncooked, which is how Yenbamroong uses it. As with uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you cook all meat products.
About 2½ cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste (nam prik kang ped)
About ½ cup rice flour
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 heaping tablespoon chile jam (nam prik pao)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons fish sauce
2 heaping tablespoons red chile flakes
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons chopped Thai bird’s eye chiles
1 cup slivered red onion
1 cup roughly chopped green onion
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Juice of 1½ limes
About ¼ cup Thai fermented sausage (naem), crumbled
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup julienned ginger
1. Fluff the rice and spread it out on a baking sheet. Chill the rice, uncovered, until ready to fry, at least 1 hour.
2. Remove the rice and season it with salt and red curry paste, mixing it in by hand to separate the rice into individual grains. Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired.
3. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of rice flour over the seasoned rice and continue working by hand, gently rubbing the rice to separate it into individual grains. Add more rice flour a little at a time as necessary. When you are done, the rice should feel very dry and separate. Return it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to finish drying.
4. Meanwhile, add enough vegetable oil to a deep pot so it goes halfway up the sides. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reaches 355 degrees.
5. Rain in the rice, a handful at a time, to the oil. The oil will bubble profusely and slowly settle down as the rice fries to a light golden color. When the bubbles have subsided, about 45 seconds, remove the rice, using a fine mesh strainer, to a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Repeat with the remaining rice.
6. In a large bowl, combine the chile jam, sugar and fish sauce, stirring or whisking until combined to form a sauce. Stir in the red chile flakes, Thai chiles, red onion, green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Fold in the sausage, peanuts and ginger, then the rice, tossing quickly to mix. Divide the mixture into servings, and garnish each with a little more chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
