YAM YAI

This special dish is no longer a staple in Thai restaurants, not because it is difficult to prepare, nor because of ingredients but rather the time it takes to make one.  Sadly it is out of sync with our expedient, fast lane life style.  'Yam' is salad, and 'Yai' means large or with variety, so this is a large salad with variety.  I was at Wandee for a 2-day Refresher and learned this recipe, which  is 300 years old, imagine?

The key ingredients are simple ie thinly sliced pork, chicken, poached shrimps, ear mushrooms, glass noodles, pickled garlic cloves, radish, cucumber, boiled egg white, spring onions, coriander leaves, pounded and deep fried garlic as garnish.  Simple, right?

What I love in this recipe is the dressing or 'seasoning mixture' as taught at Wandee :

* pound coriander root/peppercorns/garlic/hot chili with stems
* add red spur chili, finely pounded
* then fish sauce x 3 tablespoons
* plus lime juice x 3 tablespoons
* sugar x 1 tablespoon
* now the magic .....1 egg yolk finely mashed with the dressing

You cannot go wrong with this dressing, it is a classic.  How did they come up with this absolutely unique and mind boggling taste ... 3 centuries ago?