Thai Chilli Jam
(Nahm Prik Pao)

Name: Thai Chilli Jam
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 8 cloves garlic (about 40g whole); Vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 3 red shallots, finely sliced (about 90g whole); 2 slices peeled galangal; 12g dried prawns (½oz/5 teaspoons); 7 dried long red chillies, seeded and chopped; ¼ teaspoon gapi, toasted; 1½ tablespoons shaved palm sugar, or more to taste (6 teaspoons); 1½ tablespoons thick tamarind liquid, or more to taste (30ml); 2 teaspoons fish sauce, or more to taste (10ml)

Chef David Thompson taught me to make this Thai chilli jam (nahm prik pao), which is a great addition to any stir-fry. He also taught me that it’s much easier to snip dried chillies open with a pair of scissors rather than trying to slice them with a knife. Give them a shake to remove most of the seeds, then scrape out remaining seeds and membrane with a teaspoon; don’t be tempted to do this with your nails or you’ll be in pain afterwards. You’ll need about ¼ cup deep-fried garlic (18g) and ½ cup deep-fried shallots (25g) for this recipe. Once you’ve finished frying everything, strain and reserve the beautifully flavoured oil for stir-frying. You can make your own dried prawns, but for this recipe it’s best to buy premium-quality ones from the chiller section of an Asian grocer. This Thai chilli jam will keep for a week or more refrigerated and is great stir-fried with chicken, beef, prawns or vegetables.

Makes about ½ cup

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic (about 40g whole)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
3 red shallots, finely sliced (about 90g whole)
2 slices peeled galangal
12g dried prawns (½oz/5 teaspoons)
7 dried long red chillies, seeded and chopped
¼ teaspoon gapi, toasted
1½ tablespoons shaved palm sugar, or more to taste (6 teaspoons)
1½ tablespoons thick tamarind liquid, or more to taste (30ml)
2 teaspoons fish sauce, or more to taste (10ml)

Method

Slice the garlic as finely as possible.
Place in a small saucepan with the cold oil.
Place over a medium heat and fry until crisp and golden.
Scoop out of the oil with a large slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined rack.
Add shallot to the hot oil and deep-fry until dark golden, scoop onto paper towel-lined rack.
Fry galangal for a minute or 2 until lightly coloured; scoop out and place in food processor bowl.
Fry prawns for about a minute; scoop out and add to food processor bowl.
Fry chilli for about 30 seconds, just until you can smell it; because it’s so dark it’s hard to tell when it’s ready so take care not to overcook it. Scoop out and add to food processor bowl.
Add garlic, shallot and gapi to the food processor bowl and blitz it all together.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of the cooking oil, just enough to form a coarse paste.
Transfer to a saucepan and add sugar, tamarind liquid and fish sauce.
Place over medium–high heat and stir until it just starts to bubble at the side of the pan.
Reduce heat and stir for a minute.
Remove from heat and taste; it should be sweet, sour and salty. Add more sugar, tamarind liquid or fish sauce if need be.