By Christine Salins.
Nu Suandokmai has a restaurant in Adelaide, Lantern by Nu, that sounds utterly delightful. There, he cooks the food taught to him by his mother on their farm in the Ang Thong province of Central Thailand.
Since he left his native Thailand almost 30 years ago, Suandokmai has worked in top-shelf kitchens around Australia and abroad, including Bather’s Pavilion in Sydney, major hotels in Bali and Jakarta, and his own restaurants, Nu’s in Sydney, and years ago, Nu Thai in Adelaide’s Gouger Street.
Deliberately and more so than ever, Nu’s food today remains deeply influenced by his roots. He returns every year to the family farm where his mother taught all her children to cook (now run by Nu’s sisters, Na and Lek) to replenish his inspiration.
In Fire and Flavour: Nu’s Food (Wakefield Press, $34.95), writer Nigel Hopkins and photographer Tony Lewis accompany Nu on one of his annual pilgrimages, offering a taste of a style of cooking – and daily life – that is fast disappearing, even in rural Thailand.
The book is a step back into the world that existed before convenience stores, back to the traditional cooking enjoyed by village families throughout Thailand. The book celebrates his family’s recipes as interpreted and translated by Nu.
These simple, delicious recipes are designed to be recreated by the home cook, from tasty snacks like sun-dried salty fish to fabulous curries, seafood dishes and luscious desserts like ice cream kati (coconut ice cream), even Nu’s own take on the classic pad thai. This charming, personal book is a feast for all the senses.
Crisp Chilli Barramundi
250g cornflour
300g barramundi fillet, sliced thinly
Oil for deep-frying (preferably canola or rice bran oil)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2½ tablespoons shaved palm sugar
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 whole long chilli, deseeded and julienned
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely julienned
Chilli paste
15 long red dried chillies without seeds, soaked in water
4 dried birds eye chillies, soaked in water
1 kaffir lime fruit rind
1 tablespoon roasted shrimp paste
100 g wild ginger
100 g sliced shallots
50 g garlic
30 g galangal
30 g lemongrass
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Pound all the chilli paste ingredients together using a mortar and pestle to make paste, or add to a food processor and blend.
Flour the fish fillets and deep-fry until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Heat oil in wok, add curry paste and sauté on low heat until fragrant. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir until palm sugar has melted.
Add the crispy fish and toss for about 30 seconds and serve. Garnish with sliced chilli and kaffir lime leaves.
From: Fire and Flavour: Nu’s Food by Nu Suandokmai, Nigel Hopkins and Tony Lewis. Published by Wakefield Press.
