[Sca-cooks] Re:papaya

[Craig Jones.]

>tum.  A thai green papaya salad.
>OK rather than waiting for requests for the recipe:
>1 green papaya, peeled, deseeded, shredded and salted with 2 tblsp
salt
>for 20 minutes.  Wash well and squeeze all the moisture out.
>Peel, deseed and quarter 3 plum tomatoes
>Shred some lettuce and lay on a plate.
>Dressing:
>Fish sauce 1 part
>Lime juice 2 parts
>sugar      1/4 part (or to taste)
>1 clove garlic pounded
>3 or 4 hot red chillies chopped and pounded

You forgot the dried shrimp and the green beans.  The prawns are, to
me anyway, an essential part of the dish.

I don't salt the papaya but I pound all the ingredients together
starting with the harder stuff such as the grated papaya and prawns
and work my way towards the softer ingredients.  This allows the Nam
Pla and Lime Juice to really work it's way into the papaya for more
taste.  Hmm, with that much Papaya, my Som Tam would have about 8
chillies but each to their own...

Why the lettuce?  Traditionally it is served with raw green beans on
the side, as a side dish to Gai Yoong (BBQ Chicken Joints - done with
a charcoal brazier)

Ok,  as a side, can any give me a hint on where I could find quality
research material on food and recipes in the Sukhothai & Ayuthaya
(pre-portugese) periods of Thai history.

Cheers,

Drakey.