Mother's Day began early for me, as I was mindful that I had to start cooking lunch early. It takes at least two hours to make a good chicken broth from scratch, and it takes time to cut all the fresh vegetables and herbs which go into it (daikon, onions, lemongrass, cilantro)
A bowl of noodles doesn't seem like a complicated dish, but Thai noodles have a distinctive flavour because of the herbs and condiments. Garlic oil is essential for a rich garlic fragrance. It involves chopping up garlic finely and frying it, which take time. The toppings of spring onions, cilantro, red chili and green chili have to be sliced finely. Lime juice has to be freshly squeezed.
I wanted to make a special noodle dish fit for a celebration, so the ingredients had to be generous:
- flaked chicken and chicken drumsticks
A whole chicken was used to make a rich broth. There was a lot of blanching to do:
- rice noodles (hor fun);
- bean sprouts,
- green vegetables,
- prawn, and
- fishballs.
The ingredients were left on the dining table, a bit like in a buffet. The noodles were mixed with garlic oil before the main ingredients, condiments and soup were added.
The chicken
The broth
Noodles with garlic oil
Prawns, cilantro, spring onions, garlic oil, chili, lime juice
Green vegetables, flaked chicken, chicken drumsticks, fish balls
Thai noodle soup
Fish sauce is essential for Thai noodles, but how much to add is left to each individual's taste. Fresh lime juice and chili give Thai noodles the sour and spicy flavour not commonly found in other Asian noodle dishes.
My mother was in the kitchen with me the whole morning. I was grateful for her help and guidance. It was fun, but there were moments when I was nervous that I was running late and so many things had to be done at the same time.
It was a good Mother's Day lunch. My cousin Siri made banana in coconut milk, which is one of my mother's favourite desserts.
Banana in coconut milk
It might have been less expensive if we had gone out to a restaurant for lunch, but there is something special about celebrating Mother's Day at home. Every ingredient was pick specially for the occasion. There was freshness and richness in the meal, which is hard to get when dining out during peak periods when restaurants are pressed to cook more food than usual. Some dishes and ingredients have to be pre-cooked, which does affect the taste of the food.
I hope you enjoyed Mother's Day. We always enjoy the company and conversation after our celebration meals at home. I have come to enjoy washing up as well.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 12 May 2024
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