More to Life ✔

Chapter 36 Fish Sauce

Rialoves2cook: Today, I've blended my culture with Thai flavours to offer you 'Kare-Kareng Hito in Peanut Sauce'. I tried a few different spices and sauces before finding the right combination and captured the magic from my first catfish meal in this beautiful country. Fittingly, the person who introduced me to the dish, helped me with today's post, though be warned, he is a cornball in the video.

#catfish #ThaiPinoyfusion #lovethisplace #whenfriendsinvadeyourkitchen

Posted: November 14, 8:50 PM

Sameeraskitchen: Girl! That boy is way more than corny, he's smoking. I hope he's introduced you to more than food.

***

Before the recipe was ready to post, Maria savoured the spicy, peanut, ginger, and shrimp paste tastes, assessing for potential modifications. The original dish had a rich peanut taste, but the red curry paste and chilli peppers added a Thai zest. The tamarind was out of place in the flavour palette, judging by the residual sourness. She'd hesitated to add coconut milk; however, it might make a better substitute.

When a loud knock echoed in her room, Maria plodded to her door with a furrowed brow. Mitch stood outside in a pair of baggy, elephant-print 'Thai' pants she'd only seen tourists wear.

"I'm out of fish sauce. Could I borrow some?" he asked.

"Yeah!" She held the door open for him, then headed to her cooking corner near the window. "Sorry, it's a mess. I'm still in creation mode."

"No need to apologize." Mitch strode to her hotplate and lifted the wooden spoon. "May I?"

"Sure, pour the rest on a few pieces of catfish. I'm making a new version with coconut milk."

He sorted through her box of dishes like he spent every other day in her apartment, even though he'd never stopped by before, and made himself a small plate. After offering Mitch her chair, she settled onto her disaster of a bed, strewn with far too many dresses, shorts and tops for the upcoming weekend vacation.

He took a spoonful of her dish and sighed. "This is great. Why are you redoing it?"

"I want amazing, like the catfish salad at the market."

After another serving, Mitch tapped his fingers on the bowl. "It's a little sour, not extremely, but it lingers."

"Imagine it creamy, with more heat and sweetness."

"You've got my attention. Are we making this tonight?"

"Didn't you come here for fish sauce?"

Mitch laughed and rested his elbow on his leg. "I did, but I'll stay for the food if you want the help."

Adding better footage to her post not shot from books she leaned into a tripod would help her odds of winning. "You'll have to shoot the video."

"If you're looking to reach a new audience, nude cooking—"

She crossed her arms. "Don't push your luck."

After setting down his bowl, Mitch grinned. "There's the Maria spirit."

She tidied up a few unneeded ingredients and washed dishes in her bathroom sink as he finished his snack. Then she set out her red curry paste, fish sauce, Thai chilli peppers, peanut butter, coconut milk, butter, and flour. By the time the oil was heating in her wok, Mitch had started recording.

"Now we turn to the Maria. In her natural habitat, the back corner of a Thai apartment turned kitchen, she contemplates her next meal. She's abandoned the tamarind and has welcomed a new player, coconut milk," Mitch spoke in a faux British documentary narrator voice.