I am so excited!

Yes, I have something DELICIOUS to share! 

Each year I sort of go into some kind of craze over a particular type of cuisine. It was Korean for a while, and Italian.

And it looks like this year I am going to be mad about Thai food!

All because I cooked this dish – Thai Ginger, Shrimp and Glass Noodles, adapted from Hot Thai Kitchen – today just to try it out, and my god, it was so freaking good, I could not stop telling everyone I met today about this!

Traditionally cooked in a clay pot, the dish consists of prawns and glass noodles cooked in a delicious mix of (loads) of ginger, garlic and peppercorns with a yummy sauce. The noodles soak up the sauces and the prawns get infused with the flavors of the ginger, coriander and garlic, and everything is coated with crushed black and white pepper. 

I do not have a clay pot, but what I do have is my amazing Le Creuset Buffet Caserole! It is a shallow pot but I can cook a meal for 2-4 easily in this pot! It is made from heavy-gauge carbon steel with a durable and colourful porcelain enamel finish and has an interior that is easy to clean . The enamel coating also helps it to resist flavour absorption and staining. It can be used on any heat source – gas, electric, induction and ceramic, and best of all, it heats up really quickly and the heat is always well-distributed!

I tell you, this dish is the single most delicious thing I have eaten this year!

You MUST cook this soon. Seriously.

Let me show you how.

Start by soaking the glass noodles in water (room temperature) for about 10 minutes to soften them.

While that happens, whisk together light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chicken stock (or water) in a bowl. 

Place the noodles and prawns in a shallow dish, and pour the sauce over this. Toss to coat and set this aside for about 5-8 minutes while you prepare the spices. Remember to toss the noodles and prawns occasionally so everything has a chance to marinate.

Using a mortar and pestle (or place everything in a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin), crush the peppercorns.

Add garlic and coriander roots and bash to crush them lightly. Set this aside.

In a pot with a lid – I used my Le Creuset Buffet Casserole for this. This is so pretty I was able to serve the noodles in the dish after cooking too – add a little oil. into this, add the herb and spice mixture.

Fry for 30 seconds then add ginger, and cook this over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until you can smell the aroma of the herbs, spices and ginger.

Add the prawns, noodles and all the sauce into the casserole, putting the prawns on top.

Cover, and cook this until the sauce starts to boil. Turn the heat down slightly and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes.

Give everything in the pot a good stir (the prawns do not have to stay at the top anymore) and cover. Cook for another 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked through. If you find that the water level is too low, add a tad more water.

Turn the heat off, and add the spring onion. Cover to allow the residual heat wilt the spring onion.

Serve the dish with rice. If you want to eat this without rice, reduce the light soy sauce because it will be too salty otherwise!

Enjoy!

Le Creuset cast iron is easy to care for. Just follow these tips and your pot can last generations!

Cleaning tips:

1. Always cool a hot pan for a few minutes before washing.

2. Do not plunge a hot pan into cold water. While Le Creuset’s enamel is designed to be the most durable on the market, thermal shock may still occur, resulting in cracking or loss of enamel.

3. If there are food residues, fill the pan with warm water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes before washing. A brush can be useful for removing small food deposits, or for cleaning between the ribs on grills. Do not use scourers or abrasive cleaners on the cooking surface. Nylon or soft abrasive pads or brushes can be used to remove stubborn residues. To avoid damaging the enamel, do not use metallic pads or harsh abrasive cleaning agents.

4. Light stains or metal marks caused by metal tools can be removed with Le Creuset cookware cleaner.

5. Never store pans while they are still damp. Store pans in a dry cupboard or airy space away from steam.

Date: Friday 20 February 2017

Workshop: Hands-on Bread Loaves and Buns Workshop

Time: 9.00am – 12.00pm

Venue: The Eureka Cooking Lab

Tickets Link > CLICK HERE

I am also submitting this post to Cook and Celebrate: CNY2016, which I am hosting together with Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Yen from Eat Your Heart Out. Have you cooked or baked something for the up-coming Chinese New Year? If so do share your creations with us! Please note that your post has to be a current post (ie, posted in the months of January & February 2016) and remember to link it back to us: Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Yen from GoodyFoodies and Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. Happy cooking and baking folks!