Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a messageMy Publications
Asian Tofu
Release date: Feb. 28, 2012
available for pre-order
Asian Market Shopper
mobile app is here!
"Never Be Lost in an Asian Grocery Again"
-- L. Andriani, Oprah.com
Asian Dumplings
Reviews & Press Release
Enhanced e-book with how-to videos now available!
Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Reviews & Press Release
E-book released on 6/1/11!
Recent PostsChile Salt for Fruit and Veggies (Bot Muoi Ot)Stir-Fried Pork with Black Beans and Green Beans Recipe15th Anniversary Mai Tai RecipeThai Melon SaladSpicy Sardine Corn Empanadas RecipeRockin’ Ramen Chef: Noodle Soup Making VideoNavigating Food Safety in Chinese IngredientsPandan Chiffon Cake RecipeTasting Texas Part 2: Houston’s Big Little SaigonTasting Texas 1.5: Bread and Butter Pickles RecipeAwards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook
IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook
National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009
Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks
CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide
« Spicy Sardine Corn Empanadas Recipe |Main| 15th Anniversary Mai Tai Recipe »
July 13, 2011Thai Melon Salad
I am at a week-long photo shoot this week for the tofu book, but wanted to share this summertime dish. It's an oldie but goodie in my repertoire of cooking. This is the recipe that got me to seriously think about the potential of kaffir (makrut) lime leaf. That is, it's not just for curries!
I was introduced to this salad by virtue of having to make it on a regular basis at City Restaurant in Los Angeles, a now-defunct establishment by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. I’d answered a Los Angeles Times help wanted ad, and Susan hired me to work the pantry station. That was the first time I had stepped into a professional kitchen. It was 1993.
City’s Thai melon salad was full of salty, sweet, briny, citrusy, hot flavors. We made it with perfectly cubed watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew for a beautiful presentation. I was entranced by the sheer beauty and complexity that the ‘fruit salad’ offered. It was a wildly popular dish with customers, and in many ways, way ahead of its time. Few mainstream restaurants were serving fruit with fish sauce back then.
Mary Sue and Susan borrowed the idea from a preparation they’d enjoyed in Thailand. Though I’d never run into the dish at a Thai restaurant or during my travels, all the elements make perfect sense in a Southeast Asian manner. It is a refreshing burst of flavor, terrific for summer and all the melons that are coming into market right now.
Last Sunday, my husband and I brought it as an appetizer to a dinner party. Rory made the dressing and I prepped the melon. Just as I was about to cut the watermelon into perfect cubes, I decided to keep the melon on the rind as wedges. That way, people would have a handy handle to hold and a platform to support the chunky dressing. Plus, there was less waste in terms of imperfect pieces of melon flesh. It made for a novel presentation and I had turned a salad into a finger food. Except for Rory, no one else at the party cared about my cleverness. They just ate it up. Our host poured lots of riesling for a splendid way to start the evening.
RECIPE
Thai Melon Salad
Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer, 4 to 6 as a side salad
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons packed light palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Thai or Serrano chiles, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped kaffir lime leaf (remove the midrib)
1/3 cup dried shrimp, briefly rinsed to soften and finely chopped
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
A volleyball-size watermelon
1. For the dressing, combine the garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lime leaf, dried shrimp, and peanuts. Set aside for 15 minutes, then revisit the dressing for a taste test. Add extra lime juice, sugar, or fish sauce as needed to balance the flavors. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
2. Halve the water melon, then cut each half into 3 long wedges. Cut each wedge crosswise into 1/2 to 3/4-inch–thick triangles. Arrange on a platter. Serve with the sauce on the side and invite guests to spoon some sauce on a watermelon wedge to eat. Set out an empty bowl for holding the leftover rind.
Any ideas on other kinds of fruit that this dressing would work with? If you have leftover dressing is nice mixed into rice too.
Posted in Recipes: All, Recipes: Appetizer and Snack, Recipes: Salad, Recipes: Thai | PermalinkReblog (0) | | Digg This | | Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
My mouth is WATERING!! That sounds delicious. Maybe pair it with some ripe mango, too? Hmm.
Posted by:Michelle |July 13, 2011 at 06:49 PMi first ran across a similar recipe in the '70s, in a madhur jaffrey book .. she used a mix of melons, including cantaloupe and honeydew.
a salad i make regularly : tomatoes, mangos, cilantro (lots), fish sauce, lemon, chiles or just cayenne powder.
Posted by:maluE |July 14, 2011 at 12:42 AMOoooh, and we've got a nice ripe cantaloupe at home, too!
Posted by:Eve |July 14, 2011 at 08:44 AMI always want to try out new foods. The watermelon looks delicious but the sauce looks scary to me.
I am hesitated to try this because all my life I have only seen people eating watermelon with salt.
For best taste, should I eat this dish at room temperature or out of refrigerator? Any suggestion on choice of watermelon?
Posted by:TU DOAN |July 14, 2011 at 10:25 AMDon't get it wrong. It's not about your food. It's just me.
Posted by:TU DOAN |July 14, 2011 at 10:27 AMThis looks amazing. I love Mary Sue and Susan's food - I've been to two of their restaurants and both were spectacular. The combo of fruit and savoury always really appeals to me.
Posted by:Hungry Lemur |July 16, 2011 at 08:10 AMI make a version of this with 7-9 fruits. It's a lovely, refreshing salad.
Nice! I love watermelon in a savory salad and the idea of combining it with Thai-style sauce is thrilling. Can't wait to give it a try!
Posted by:Kristie V. |July 17, 2011 at 08:58 AMTu Doan: LOL -- the sauce is salty, spicy, herby so it's functioning just like your salt on the melon! Same idea so go for it. I like watermelon slightly chilled but this recipe is good at room temperature.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |July 17, 2011 at 10:18 PMDiane: What kinds of fruit do you use? Do tell...
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |July 17, 2011 at 10:18 PMHa! Wow, I just noticed we posted about watermelon salads within days of each other. In what way this City Thai's dish differ from the dish the owners encountered in Thailand? I always wondered where the original ideas for Fatty Crabs' Watermelon Salad w/ Crispy Fried Braised Pork Belly came from. I figured the pickled watermelon rinds was from the South, along with fried pork belly, but the closest thing to the savory watermelon preparation was watermelon soup from Indonesia.
Posted by:Linh-Dang |July 19, 2011 at 08:26 AMi would add pomelo and pineapple to the mix of melons for brightness and tartness .. adjust the sauce, of course.
this is in the august 2011 Food & Wine magazine -
__________
Vietnamese Peach Relish
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-peach-relish
Contributed by Grace Parisi
Alice Waters likes eating savory peach relishes with fish. Make sure to use peaches that are firm enough to hold their shape once diced.
ACTIVE: TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN
SERVINGS: MAKES 3 CUPS
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serrano chile or jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 firm, ripe medium peaches, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
In a mortar (or using a mini food processor), pound the garlic and chile with the brown sugar until a paste forms. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the peaches, cilantro and mint.
SERVE WITH
Grilled halibut or shrimp.
From Cooking Like Alice Waters
Food & Wine - Published August 2011
Andrea: I mix and match whatever's around: a few melons, grapes, mango, pineapple, kiwis, apple, etc...
Posted by:Diane |July 22, 2011 at 08:07 PMWow! - a week long shoot! I am sure you'll grab tons of great pics! Good luck!
Meanwhile, this recipe sounds fantastic! A great addition to a guest menu, no doubt. And it's soy-free, too!
Thank you so much!
Posted by:Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box |July 22, 2011 at 11:00 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Best Asian Food Blogs\Viet World Kitchen\spinner.gif)
Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Your Information
(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)
Name is required to post a comment
Please enter a valid email address
Invalid URL
Be Connected
Get news via RSS or email 
Get updates in Facebook
Follow me on TwitterSearch VWK
\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Best Asian Food Blogs\Viet World Kitchen\buttonc.png)
EventsRADIO INTERVIEW
Everyday Food
July 5, 12:15pm EST
Join Sandy and me to talk Asian marinades & sauces!Share Shots#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}.flickr_badge_image img {border: 0px solid black !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}www.flickr.com
More in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours!RecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelViet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2011 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2011/07/thai-melon-salad.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
No comments:
Post a Comment