Friday, May 25, 2007Phnom Penh's Favorite Curry Comes in Many Guises
By PHIL LEES
The Wall Street Journal (USA)
Nothing polarizes aficionados of Cambodian cuisine like fish amok. The ubiquity of this fish curry, which is typically steamed to a light mousse in a wrapper made from a banana leaf, belies a vast range of approaches to its preparation and serving.
At the core of fish amok are four elements. The first, freshwater fish, is generally the endemic snakehead fish, but other firm-fleshed freshwater creatures are often substituted; freshwater snail amok (amok chouk) also appears on local menus. In recent times "tofu amok" and "chicken amok" have emerged as an alternative for fish-averse tourists.
The second essential is kroeung, a pounded spice paste that contains a heavy dose of lemongrass alongside Cambodian fermented fish paste (prahok), fresh turmeric root, the ginger-like rhizome krachai, galangal, garlic and red shallots. Chili? "Some people use it for amok; others don't," says Joannès Rivière, author of Cambodian recipe book "La Cuisine du Cambodge Avec les Apprentis de Sala Baï" and executive chef of the upscale Khmer restaurant Meric in Siem Reap. "What is sure is that it shouldn't be fresh chili but always dried. Just soak them and chop them thinly, using a bit of palm sugar to make a paste." More palm sugar is also added to sweeten the curry.
Thirdly, and what most differentiates a Cambodian amok from its regional neighbors, is the addition of the herb slok ngor (the leaf of the noni tree, morinda citrifolia). The small ovoid leaf confers a subtle but distinctive bitterness to the dish.
The fourth and final must is fresh coconut milk.
The History
The origins of fish amok are a source of regional debate. Dishes of this kind aren't unique to Cambodia. Malaysia and Indonesia boast the similar otak otak and Thailand cooks a spicier hor mok but neither nation embraces them with the passion of Cambodia. "Amok" in the Cambodian language, Khmer, only refers to the dish whereas in Thai, "hor mok" translates as "bury wrap," suggesting amok may have come from Cambodia's neighbor.
A less likely but more intriguing explanation of amok's cloudy origins is to follow the trail of the word amok, which may come from the Portuguese word amouco. The word entered the Portuguese vernacular through trade with the Malay peninsula in the 17th century and is derived from a similar Malay word that means to go into a destructive frenzy, and is the origin of the English phrase "to run amok." While the Malay meaning of the word doesn't exactly apply to the dish, it's possible that it was early Portuguese settlers or Malay traders in Cambodia who carried the recipe for otak otak with them from what is now Malaysia. After all, it may have been the Portuguese who helped fuel Asia's chili addiction when they brought it to India from the Americas.
The Setting
Fish amok is a restaurant food. Locals tend not to cook it at home, and it isn't served at the makeshift roadside stalls that colonize the periphery of Cambodia's streets and hidden alleyways. However, the restaurants that do serve it run the gamut from local bones-and-napkins-on-the-floor joints to Phnom Penh's finest silver-service eateries. While the dish is neither complex to make nor based on rare ingredients, the method of steaming or baking the curry is unusual for Cambodian cuisine and deters the home cook. Most Cambodian dishes are either boiled, stir-fried or deep-fried.
"It's not too complicated to make amok at home, but you do need to prepare it further in advance than other foods," says gourmet Ann Vireak, who is also an arbitrator at Cambodia's Arbitration Council, a tribunal that settles collective labor disputes, in Phnom Penh. "People would only make it at home for a very special occasion."
The Judgment
The key to a good fish amok is the interplay of fresh herb flavors, combined in a subtle way. The kroeung should be made daily; the mix of lemongrass to other ingredients varies between chefs, but no single herb should be dominant. Slok ngor leaf is essential.
What most fuels differences of opinion on fish amok is the method of preparation: steamed, boiled, or baked. While the steamed mousseline version is most popular with visitors to Cambodia, either in the traditional banana-leaf cup or inside a coconut shell, locals prefer a soupier, boiled style that mirrors other Cambodian coconut curries. The baked variety is much rarer but has its devotees.
The choice of fish can also be an issue. "More than anything, Cambodian fish from the Mekong is important to make the best amok," says Ms. Vireak. "If you're not in Cambodia, that's hard to find."
The Sources
Café Amok
A 15-year veteran of Phnom Penh's dining scene. Café Amok's signature dish is heavy on the fish and fresh kroueng, and is served in a hollow coconut shell.
2 Street 278 (between Street 51 and Street 57).
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
855-12-912-319.
$3.50
Sweet Café
Soupy fish and snail amok served in a local cafe whose popularity has caused it to drift slowly upmarket.
21B Street 294 (near the corner of Street 9).
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
855-12-999-119.
$2.50.
Malis
Along with a traditional steamed amok, chef Luu Meng serves contemporary local cuisine in one of central Phnom Penh's newest modern-Cambodian restaurants.
136 Norodom Boulevard.
7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
855-23-221-022.
$6.60.
--Phil Lees is a Phnom Penh-based writer.
At the core of fish amok are four elements. The first, freshwater fish, is generally the endemic snakehead fish, but other firm-fleshed freshwater creatures are often substituted; freshwater snail amok (amok chouk) also appears on local menus. In recent times "tofu amok" and "chicken amok" have emerged as an alternative for fish-averse tourists.
The second essential is kroeung, a pounded spice paste that contains a heavy dose of lemongrass alongside Cambodian fermented fish paste (prahok), fresh turmeric root, the ginger-like rhizome krachai, galangal, garlic and red shallots. Chili? "Some people use it for amok; others don't," says Joannès Rivière, author of Cambodian recipe book "La Cuisine du Cambodge Avec les Apprentis de Sala Baï" and executive chef of the upscale Khmer restaurant Meric in Siem Reap. "What is sure is that it shouldn't be fresh chili but always dried. Just soak them and chop them thinly, using a bit of palm sugar to make a paste." More palm sugar is also added to sweeten the curry.
Thirdly, and what most differentiates a Cambodian amok from its regional neighbors, is the addition of the herb slok ngor (the leaf of the noni tree, morinda citrifolia). The small ovoid leaf confers a subtle but distinctive bitterness to the dish.
The fourth and final must is fresh coconut milk.
The History
The origins of fish amok are a source of regional debate. Dishes of this kind aren't unique to Cambodia. Malaysia and Indonesia boast the similar otak otak and Thailand cooks a spicier hor mok but neither nation embraces them with the passion of Cambodia. "Amok" in the Cambodian language, Khmer, only refers to the dish whereas in Thai, "hor mok" translates as "bury wrap," suggesting amok may have come from Cambodia's neighbor.
A less likely but more intriguing explanation of amok's cloudy origins is to follow the trail of the word amok, which may come from the Portuguese word amouco. The word entered the Portuguese vernacular through trade with the Malay peninsula in the 17th century and is derived from a similar Malay word that means to go into a destructive frenzy, and is the origin of the English phrase "to run amok." While the Malay meaning of the word doesn't exactly apply to the dish, it's possible that it was early Portuguese settlers or Malay traders in Cambodia who carried the recipe for otak otak with them from what is now Malaysia. After all, it may have been the Portuguese who helped fuel Asia's chili addiction when they brought it to India from the Americas.
The Setting
Fish amok is a restaurant food. Locals tend not to cook it at home, and it isn't served at the makeshift roadside stalls that colonize the periphery of Cambodia's streets and hidden alleyways. However, the restaurants that do serve it run the gamut from local bones-and-napkins-on-the-floor joints to Phnom Penh's finest silver-service eateries. While the dish is neither complex to make nor based on rare ingredients, the method of steaming or baking the curry is unusual for Cambodian cuisine and deters the home cook. Most Cambodian dishes are either boiled, stir-fried or deep-fried.
"It's not too complicated to make amok at home, but you do need to prepare it further in advance than other foods," says gourmet Ann Vireak, who is also an arbitrator at Cambodia's Arbitration Council, a tribunal that settles collective labor disputes, in Phnom Penh. "People would only make it at home for a very special occasion."
The Judgment
The key to a good fish amok is the interplay of fresh herb flavors, combined in a subtle way. The kroeung should be made daily; the mix of lemongrass to other ingredients varies between chefs, but no single herb should be dominant. Slok ngor leaf is essential.
What most fuels differences of opinion on fish amok is the method of preparation: steamed, boiled, or baked. While the steamed mousseline version is most popular with visitors to Cambodia, either in the traditional banana-leaf cup or inside a coconut shell, locals prefer a soupier, boiled style that mirrors other Cambodian coconut curries. The baked variety is much rarer but has its devotees.
The choice of fish can also be an issue. "More than anything, Cambodian fish from the Mekong is important to make the best amok," says Ms. Vireak. "If you're not in Cambodia, that's hard to find."
The Sources
Café Amok
A 15-year veteran of Phnom Penh's dining scene. Café Amok's signature dish is heavy on the fish and fresh kroueng, and is served in a hollow coconut shell.
2 Street 278 (between Street 51 and Street 57).
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
855-12-912-319.
$3.50
Sweet Café
Soupy fish and snail amok served in a local cafe whose popularity has caused it to drift slowly upmarket.
21B Street 294 (near the corner of Street 9).
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
855-12-999-119.
$2.50.
Malis
Along with a traditional steamed amok, chef Luu Meng serves contemporary local cuisine in one of central Phnom Penh's newest modern-Cambodian restaurants.
136 Norodom Boulevard.
7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
855-23-221-022.
$6.60.
--Phil Lees is a Phnom Penh-based writer.
1 comment:
Wow, that is my favorite. It makes
think of my aunt everytime someone
mention Fish Amok. She'll always
be the best chef in the whole wide
world to me. Damn, now I am hungry!
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