Chicken Satay Noodles (Khao Soi Ghai)

allandanyways

Hi guys,

The above is one of my absolute favourite dishes from Camile Thai, and I've had a few whacks at it at home but it's never tasty enough - the sauce is just not "right". I've tried homemade satay and store-bought versions, but I can't figure out where I'm going wrong. The sauce is too heavy and sweet rather than being tangy and spicy and no amount of lime juice and chilli seems to be able to bring it back.

Anyone have a tried-and-tested recipe for the above? Any successful satay noodle recipes would be appreciated!

duploelabs

allandanyways wrote: »

Hi guys,

The above is one of my absolute favourite dishes from Camile Thai, and I've had a few whacks at it at home but it's never tasty enough - the sauce is just not "right". I've tried homemade satay and store-bought versions, but I can't figure out where I'm going wrong. The sauce is too heavy and sweet rather than being tangy and spicy and no amount of lime juice and chilli seems to be able to bring it back.

Anyone have a tried-and-tested recipe for the above? Any successful satay noodle recipes would be appreciated!

Have you tried other ingredients to introduce the sour element like Tamarind?

allandanyways

duploelabs wrote: »

Have you tried other ingredients to introduce the sour element like Tamarind?

I had a jar of massaman curry paste that has kaffir lime and tamarind in it but it still wasn't right, and I've tried rice vinegar as well. I'm not sure if it's the ingredients or the recipe that's not working - I'm a "casual" cook and generally measure by eye (works 99% of the time!) so it could be down to spice quantities too, hence why I'm seeking recipes so I can follow them and see if it is a recipe/method thing

duploelabs

allandanyways wrote: »

I had a jar of massaman curry paste that has kaffir lime and tamarind in it but it still wasn't right, and I've tried rice vinegar as well. I'm not sure if it's the ingredients or the recipe that's not working - I'm a "casual" cook and generally measure by eye (works 99% of the time!) so it could be down to spice quantities too, hence why I'm seeking recipes so I can follow them and see if it is a recipe/method thing

For starters, the lime leaf itself (as opposed to the lime fruit) wouldn't have much of a sour element to it so that wouldn't be the right direction. Secondly, using a jar of pre-mixed paste wouldn't be the way to go as that would be introducing different spices and flavours rather than using the direct component itself. Next time you're near an asian market try picking up a packet of tamarind paste and see how that works. I'll order the dish next week and see what elements I can deconstruct from it and thus generate a recipe from it

Stheno

First page of the thread below has a recipe for satay sauce

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056077430

allandanyways

duploelabs wrote: »

For starters, the lime leaf itself (as opposed to the lime fruit) wouldn't have much of a sour element to it so that wouldn't be the right direction. Secondly, using a jar of pre-mixed paste wouldn't be the way to go as that would be introducing different spices and flavours rather than using the direct component itself. Next time you're near an asian market try picking up a packet of tamarind paste and see how that works. I'll order the dish next week and see what elements I can deconstruct from it and thus generate a recipe from it

Thanks a million - I've only really started cooking Thai food in the last year. Indian/Mexican are my stronger suits and I know those flavour combos so well, Thai food is a totally different ball game!

Looking forward to hearing your opinion!:)

allandanyways

Stheno wrote: »

First page of the thread below has a recipe for satay sauce

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056077430

I've tried that one

It was nice but definitely too thick for this dish, the noodles just coagulated in the sauce.

OleRodrigo

I'm a huge fan of Khao Soi Gai . I spent a few weeks in Chiang Mai, whilst backpacking in Thailand, and enrolled in a week-long course at the Chiang Mai cookery school which covered most popular dishes including Khao Soi.

Unlike some really good approximations of the thai curries that you might come across, I have yet to have come across a good one of Khao Soi Gai, including from Camile. It's still fairly tasty mind you, but I think it's such a nice dish that if you made a complete arse of it, it would still taste great.

The recipe below is from the recipe book they gave us. All the ingredients were bought fresh from the local market in the morning, including the coconut cream and milk ( from a vendor with an extraction machine ). Any paste we needed we made ourselves with a mortar and pestle. It's fairly simple, but the key is fresh ingredients. The chicken stock was made fresh at the start of the course, however, knorr stock pot is a good substitute, and tinned coconut milk is OK too. I used chicken thighs and that worked out really well.

OleRodrigo

Second page

allandanyways

OleRodrigo - you absolute legend, thank you so much, couldn't have hoped for a better response! Gonna give it another whack tonight and will report back (though I have no doubts this one will actually work! )

patsypantaloni

Really interested to know how you get on, that recipe sounds amazing, please let us know OP!

allandanyways

Well lads, I had two goes at OleRodrigo's recipe!

First impressions is that the recipe is so easy, and so easily tailored to individual tastes. I added some onions and beansprouts to the sauce once I'd brought it to the boil and was letting it simmer for 4 mins (end of the recipe). I used store-bought red thai paste but bought it in an asian store and it had all of the ingredients listed in the fresh one below, so close enough. If I had time, I would have made it fresh but it was a work night on both occasions so time was of the essence!

It's not the same as the Camile dish I was after, that's a definite. What it is, is a deep, spicy, salty and sweet dish, and that broth is to die for. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was lighter and had more umami flavour than the satay version Camile have. I'll be adding into the weekday repotoire for sure, as it requires feck all ingredients when you have most of it in the ingredients press (chicken, ginger and coconut milk is all I had to buy fresh last night) and takes 20 mins max to cook.

HOWEVER (!) I'm still on the hunt for the satay version Camile have, so if anyone has any ideas as to how to get that light, spicy satay flavour without going down the Chinese satay route (I despise the stuff, sorry!), I'm all ears/eyes!

MissFlitworth

I went harrassing. Watch this space

The Hill Billy

Gary Rhodes is associated with Camile. Have a google for his satay recipes. They may point you in the right direction.

MissFlitworth

allandanyways - Camille Thai say that the recipe is difficult and they can't give it out (understandable, I was being cheeky) HOWEVER they would be willing to pack up & send you a couple of tubs of the sauce base that they use so you could try reverse engineer it at home I knew I loved those bunnies for a reason.

If you'd like that just pm me your address.

allandanyways

The above posts are why I love this forum

OleRodrigo

Satay is traditionally a separate dish, so am not sure how they work it into Khao Soi..but I guess its all a mixed bag at one point or another. Here's a recipe for satay from the same school. I think if you made enough of it and just stirred some blanched noodles through it, you would have something close to Camille's version.

allandanyways

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Satay is traditionally a separate dish, so am not sure how they work it into Khao Soi..but I guess its all a mixed bag at one point or another. Here's a recipe for satay from the same school. I think if you made enough of it and just stirred some blanched noodles through it, you would have something close to Camille's version.

Mucho thanko! I'm gonna give this a whirl and take some elements from the previous recipe and see how I go. OleRodrigo, you're a star for posting these super authentic recipes, thanks so much!

DavyD_83

On a similar but separate note, has anybody tried the Camile cookery lesson? Considering it as Christmas present for my mum, with invention to go with her (yep, I've left it pretty late and have no other plan. So it's prob happening)
If I do go, I'll ask about the above recipe; (multi-pronged boards attack to discover their precious secrets ) Based on this thread I now also need to order this dish immediately out of curiosity

Curry Addict

Here is my tried and trusted Satay Sauce recipe.



Satay sauce

Ingredients

3 Thai shallots finely chopped (or 1 regular) 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 cm. piece of ginger, peeled then finely chopped
2 sticks of lemongrass, finely chopped
1 red chili finely chopped, deseeded and rinsed
½ teaspoon of shrimp paste
150 gr. roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of turmeric
200 ml coconut milk
200ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons tamarind juice
3 teaspoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ tablespoon lime juice

Heat oil to a medium heat and fry the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilies and shrimp paste until they start to brown.

Stir in the peanuts quickly and add the cumin, coriander and turmeric. The peanuts should absorb all the previous ingredients and the pan will go dry so quickly stir in the coconut milk and then the chicken stock.

Add the tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce and cook for 5 min. or until the sauce reaches the consistency you prefer. Stir in the lime juice and serve.