Tom Kitchin: ‘My unforgettable first visit to Bangkok - a bush tucker trial’

AT THE beginning of this year, while the restaurant was being refurbished, the family and I spent some time in Thailand. It’s somewhere we have wanted to visit for some time, especially given all the wonderful things I have heard about the food.

En route, we spent a few days in Dubai, which has fond memories for us – my wife spent a few years working at the world-renowned luxury hotel Burj al Arab in the early days of our relationship. It was brilliant to catch up with friends and discover how much Dubai has changed since we last visited. It is a phenomenal place, with fantastic service, great facilities for children and wonderful sandy beaches. The food in Dubai is a melting pot of cultures, with restaurants spanning all types of cuisine – from Japanese to Australian and everything in between. It is similar to the UK in that there are so many different influences on food, but everything in Dubai is done on a much grander scale.

After Dubai, we travelled to Thailand, where the contrast in food was evident and the style of cookery is a bit closer to my own ‘from nature to plate’ philosophy. Thai cuisine is all very true to the local culture, and it’s fascinating. We were lucky to visit day and night markets during our trip, and I especially enjoyed watching the locals select their produce from an abundance of fish, seafood and fruit and vegetables, some of which we hadn’t seen or tasted before.

What really struck me about the food and cookery styles in Thailand is that everything is cooked in a similar way, yet there are so many different dishes and ingredients to try. They really embrace their wonderful produce and their own culture, and the opportunity to understand and watch how the local people shop, cook and eat was hugely exciting.

I live and breathe food and cooking, and my wife Michaela will testify that, no matter where we visit or when, I will always end up in a kitchen. As those of you who have read my first cook book, From Nature to Plate, will know, I even ended up cooking on our honeymoon in the Caribbean. Thailand was no exception, and luckily I got to know some Thai chefs and food-lovers who shared a few of their culinary secrets. I thrive on learning new methods of cooking and finding out about different ingredients used in different ways – it inspires me to continue to develop my own dishes and style of cooking. I really wanted to understand the methods behind authentic Thai cooking so, after spending time with a talented Thai chef and lending a helping hand in a kitchen, I was passed these recipes. I couldn’t wait to try them as soon as we got back to Scotland.

Bangkok was our first stop in Thailand and it was an entirely new experience for us. It was truly thrilling to see the enjoyment the locals get from cooking, and especially exciting to visit the night markets and try street food. Locals often gather in droves at the early morning food markets, picking up fresh produce – which they tend to buy daily due to the small size of their homes and limited cooking facilities. I was informed by our Thai guide and friend that many households in Bangkok are small and often without a stove. Or they come out at night, when the city is buzzing like nowhere else. Street food has become a necessity and part of everyone’s daily routine.

Night markets start around 9pm, and are a celebration of people and food. I don’t think I’ve ever seen food markets so busy and lively anywhere in the world, and it was enlightening to see all that was on offer – dishes straight from the woks or prepared in very primitive settings on the side of the street.

When it came to choosing some good, authentic restaurants, the experience was again inspiring. We had a very welcoming chef at our hotel in Bangkok. He knew I was a chef too, so set out to impress us with an incredible local tasting menu the evening after we arrived. We tasted outstanding local crab and fish, as well as fresh lobster straight from the water in Phuket. We were still jet-lagged during the meal and, despite fighting to keep my eyes open, I’ll never forget the soup we were served. I think it must have been the hottest I’ve ever tasted but had absolutely outstanding flavours. Chillies are a key ingredient in Thai food, and locals tend to work with three different varieties, the most popular being the smallest. In Thailand, dinner tables are set not with salt and pepper shakers but instead with these tiny chillies cut up and swimming in a dish of fish sauce.

As well as the many raw ingredients in the markets, there is a whole range of ready-made food and snacks to be discovered. Our friend showed us exactly what and where the locals eat in the market, and we followed his advice. There’s so much choice but the best and most authentic places are often off the beaten track.

If ever I would compromise and go for a takeaway, it would be in Thailand. Ready snacks range from rice in banana leaves cooked on a barbecue to bags of colourful nuts and salted snacks. We were lucky to have our Thai friend with us in the market, but I was still wary about hygiene standards. I would advise using your instinct and only eat street food from places that seem to have a high turnover of people and where the cooking is done in a very hot wok. Although it’s fun to try new foods, it’s not worth being ill.

What I will never forget about my first Bangkok visit was my very own bush tucker trial. As anyone who has been to Thailand will know, they have a lot of appetising nuts and myriad fried snacks, but unlike the crisps or snacks that are eaten every day in the UK, their salty snacks, I learnt, also include fried grasshopper, tree maggots and cockroaches. I was named the ‘adventurous chef’ after I attempted to taste them from a young guy with a selection of delicacies attached to his bicycle. Very few visitors dare to try these, but even I had to stop at the cockroach. I just couldn’t do it.

I’d recommend sticking to the more palatable fish, curries and sauces Thailand is so renowned for, like these simple yet delicious recipes. The sweet chilli dip is sensational. Next week I will tell you more about our trip to the southerly parts of Thailand and reveal my recipe for a proper Thai curry.

CRISPY SQUID

500g squid, cut into triangles

For the tempura

180g rice flour

240g tempura flour

200g soda water

1 tbsp soy sauce

180g cold water

30g red curry powder

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 whole egg

Preheat the fryer to 180C. Combine the tempura ingredients and mix well with a whisk until it takes on a batter consistency. Then set aside.

When you are ready, dip the pieces of squid into the batter and fry for three or four minutes, until crispy. Lay these on kitchen paper and salt lightly.

Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

15g garlic, chopped

15g red chilli, chopped

60ml white wine vinegar

50g sugar

10g salt

15g peanuts, crushed

10g coriander, chopped

Heat a frying pan, add oil and sauté the garlic and chilli for two or three minutes, until the oil from the chilli starts to come out. Now add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and reduce until the sauce thickens. Add the chopped peanuts and coriander to the sauce and serve with the crispy squid.

• Look out for more of Tom Kitchin’s authentic Thai recipes in next week’s Spectrum

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