Chef Michael Smith – Buen provecho…2022

Thai is undoubtedly one of my favourite foods and this soup is no exception. Hope you will try it and let me know what you think. And..its from Michael Smith, one of my heroes…LOL. (My apologies to Michael for altering the original as shown)

Thai Coconut Curry Soup from Michael Smith
Meat
• 2 Chicken breasts (Good old Costco – I used their chicken strips in a bag – two handfuls partially thawed)
Produce
• 1 handful Bean sprouts (I substituted frozen broccoli pieces)
• 1 Carrot, shredded
• 1 bunch Cilantro, roots
• 1 bunch Cilantro, leaves
• 1 small knob Ginger, frozen
• 2 Green onions
• 2 stalks Lemon grass or 1 Tablespoon lemongrass paste
• 4 Lime, leaves
• 2 Limes, zest and juice
Canned Goods
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 2 14 ounce cans Premium coconut milk
• 1 heaping tbsp Thai curry paste
Condiments
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce or less as you prefer
• 1 Sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce
Pasta & Grains
• 1 8 ounce package Rice noodles (Or skip either of these if you don’t want the starch)

Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.

Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

OPTIONAL – Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.

Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.

Michael Dixon Smith is a Canadian chef and writer, host of The Inn Chef, Chef at Home, Chef at Large, Chef Michael’s Kitchen, Chef Abroad, and Chopped: Canada (all of which have appeared on the Canadian Food Network). Some of Michael’s recipes have been used by me for many years. One of his best is the French Onion Soup which was posted on this site in January 2012. For more of his great recipes, follow the link below.

http://chefmichaelsmith.com/

And now here is today’s great fall recipe!

Pan Roasted Pork with Rosemary Applesauce
Ingredients
for the applesauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 of your favourite apples, cored and cut into chunks (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the pan-roasted pork chops
4 thick centre-loin pork chops
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon any vegetable oil
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Procedure
For the applesauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and patiently cook them, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized and turn golden brown. Add the apple chunks, apple cider vinegar, rosemary and salt and pepper. Stir well. Simmer until the apples are very soft. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled.The applesauce will keep for several days.
For the pork chops, preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Splash in the oil and toss the butter into the centre of the oil. This will help keep the butter from burning. Pause until the butter begins to brown.
Meanwhile, pat the chops dry using paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper and carefully place them into the hot pan. Sear for 2 minutes or so on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with the warmed applesauce.