FRIED GOLDEN POMPANO FISH (Trey Chian Chourn)

Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• 1 golden pompano fish about 1½ lbs, cleaned, washed, and dried
• ¾ cup of water 
• 2½ tablespoons of vegetable oil 
• 2 tablespoons of salted soybean 
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons of sugar 
• ½ teaspoon of salt 
• ½ teaspoon of chicken soup base 
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch 
• 2 inches ginger root, peeled and shredded 
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 3 shallots, chopped 
• 3 fresh red chilies 
• 4 stalks of green onion, cut into 1½-inch length

Procedures

1. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the pompano fish. 
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish 5-6 minutes each side over medium heat. Transfer to a large dish. 
3. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and add garlic, shallot, and ginger. Stir for 1-2 minutes (medium heat). 
4. Add the water, salted soybean, vinegar, sugar, chicken soup base, and cornstarch. Then bring it to boil and add in chilies and green onion. 
5. Pour the sauce on the fried fish and serve.
   

SPICY SEAFOOD AND PINEAPPLE (Chhar Kroung Samot Chiamoy Mnourse)

 Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 package (1 lb) of carving squid 
• ½ lb of peeled shrimp 
• 1 20-oz can (1 lb, 4 oz) of pineapple chunks 
• 1 small red onion 
• 1 8-oz package of baby bella mushrooms 
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 
• 2 teaspoons of crab paste 
• 2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce 
• 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce 
• 2 teaspoons of sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base mix 
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch 
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 3 shallots, chopped 
• 3 stalks green onion, cut 1½ inches in length

Procedures

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and shallot and sauté until brown (high heat). Then add shrimp, squid, crab paste, chicken soup base, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and chili garlic sauce. Stir for 3 minutes and transfer to a dish. 
2. Add in cornstarch and pineapple, including juice. Let it boil about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add mushrooms and red onion. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. 
3. Add shrimp, squid, and green onion. Give them a toss and taste. 
4. Transfer to a large dish and serve.
   

FRESH PRAWNS LIME SOUP (Samlor Jrourk Bangcong)

Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• 2¼ lbs of fresh large shrimp, cleaned and peeled 
• 8 cups of water 
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro 
• 4 tablespoons of lime juice 
• 2 teaspoons of fish sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base mix 
• 2 teaspoons of salt 
• 2 scallions (green onion), chopped into small pieces 
• 1 stalk of lemon grass, cut into 3 pieces, about 15 inches per piece 
• 3 cloves of garlic, thickly sliced 
• 2 shallots, thickly sliced 
• 1 fresh red chili, thickly sliced

Procedures

1. Boil the water in a soup pot (high heat). Add lemon grass, garlic, and shallot and bring to a boil. Then, add the shrimp and boil about 2-3 minutes. 
2. Over medium heat, add salt, fish sauce, and chicken soup base, letting it boil for 2 minutes. 
3. Add lime juice and chili. Taste and transfer to a big bowl. Top with chopped scallion and cilantro.
   

STEAMED JICAMA ROOT ROLLS (Bor Bearc)

Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• 1 pre-packed (12 oz/340 g) salad roll wrapper 
• ½ lb of peeled shrimp 
• 4 Chinese sausages 
• 4 large eggs, beat well, fried, and cut into long, skinny slices 
• 1 jicama root (about 2 lbs), peeled, shredded, and steamed for 10 min. (medium heat) 
• 1 bulb of green lettuce, washed 
• 2 cups of fresh mint leaves 
• ½ cup of roasted peanut, crushed 
• ½ cup of hoisin sauce 
• ¼ cup of white vinegar 
• ¼ cup of water 
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 
• 2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil 
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 3 shallots, finely chopped

Procedures

1. Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and stir them about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a dish to cool down. Then, crush them. 
2. Put Chinese sausages in a small pan and add a little water. Cover the lid and cook them for 12-13 minutes over medium heat. Take them out and let them cool down. Then, thinly slice them. 
3. Dip one salad roll wrapper in a big bowl of warm water. Then, take the wrapper out and spread it on a large dish and add green leaf, mint, steamed jicama root, long, skinny sliced fried egg, shrimp, Chinese sausages, and crushed peanuts on top of the wrapper. Roll it the same way you roll a spring roll, except you do not need to use the egg to seal it. Water alone will do the job.

Dipping Sauce

Heat the oil in a small saucepot over medium heat and add garlic and shallot. Then, stir it about 1-2 minutes and add hoisin sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, water, and chili garlic sauce. Bring to a boil and taste. Dip the rolls into the sauce to enjoy.

PORK & SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS(Charyor)

  Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• ½ lb of peeled shrimp, washed and chopped into small pieces 
• 1 lb of lean ground pork 
• ½ cup of dried, shredded auricularia mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 min., rinsed, drained, and chopped into small pieces 
• 2 serving sizes of vermicelli (1.76 oz or 50 g), soaked in warm water for 30 min., rinsed, drained, and sliced into 1-inch pieces 
• 1½ bag (50 sheets, 250 g/8.8 oz) of TYJ Spring Roll Pastry 
• 2 medium onions, thinly diced 
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 4 shallots, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon of sugar 
• ½ teaspoon of fine ground black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce 
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base mix 
• 3 eggs 
• 4 cups of vegetable oil

Procedures

1. In a big salad bowl, using a spatula or hands, finely mix all ingredients together (except 1 egg and oil) into a mixed meat topping. Refrigerate for an hour. 
2. When you feel the topping start to bind together, then it is ready. Then, get one sheet of TYJ spring roll pastry, putting it on a large plate, and add one teaspoon of mixed meat topping on the sheet. Fold the bottom of the pastry up and over the topping and gently press down. Fold two sides of the sheet and roll it. Continue rolling the spring roll forward towards the end of the pastry. Wet the end of the roll with egg to seal it (break 1 egg into a small bowl to use as sealant). Roll one by one until you finish all the sheets. Make sure to put the rolls on a flat plate. 
3. Turn on stove to medium heat and then heat 4 cups of oil in a deep frying pot. Drop the rolls into the hot oil and deep-fry them until golden (25 rolls at a time). Stir the rolls often so that they are cooked evenly. Drain the golden spring rolls onto a rack.
4. Transfer the rolls onto a large dish and serve. They taste best when they are still hot. You can eat the rolls with or without sauce. The simplest sauce can be a mixture of Asian chili sauce with hoisin sauce. Add a bit of fresh-squeezed lime juice to the sauce (taste to your liking) and serve.
   

TOFU AND OYSTER MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• ½ lb of ground pork 
• 1 package firm tofu (19 oz), cut into small cubes (to your liking) 1 package organic oyster mushrooms, washed and separated into small pieces (to your liking) 
• 6 cups of water 
• 1½ teaspoons of chicken soup base mix 
• 1½ teaspoons of salt 
• ¼ teaspoon of sugar 
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil 
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 
• 2 stalks green onion, chopped 
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro 
• 1 inch ginger root

Procedures

1. Marinate ground pork with ½ teaspoon of salt, ground black pepper, sugar, ½ the chicken soup base, and sesame oil. Roll the mixture into small pork balls and refrigerate. 
2. Boil water in a soup pot, and add garlic, ginger, one teaspoon of salt, the remaining chicken soup base, and pork balls. Let it boil for 5-6 minutes (high heat). 
3. Add tofu and cook about 4-5 minutes. Then add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Taste and top with green onion and cilantro. 

HOT STEWED CATFISH STEAKS

 Ingredients (Serves 4) 

• 1½ lbs of catfish steaks, washed with salt
• ¼ cup of water 
• 2 tablespoons of honey 
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base mix 
• 1 teaspoon of fine ground black pepper 
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 3 shallots, chopped 
• 2 fresh red chilies, thickly sliced 
• 5 stalks of green onion, sliced 1 inch in length

Procedures

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot (medium heat).  
2. Add garlic and shallots and stir for about 2 minutes. 
3. Pour the honey in and stir until the honey turns yellow. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, and chicken soup base (low heat). 
4. Add fish and turn each side back and forth for 2 minutes. 
5. Put the water into the pot (medium heat). Stew for about 25 minutes to 30 minutes. 
6. Add red chili and green onion. Taste and serve hot.