Hi! It’s Pepper here with a recipe from my new book, The Pepper Thai Cookbook, which is available in the Cravings shop now.
This dark red sticky jam made from dried chiles is a must-have in my pantry. It’s jam-packed (get it?) with deep umami flavor and a balanced amount of sweetness and heat. Thai people use it to add a roasted tangy flavor to just about everything, from soups to instant noodles, or sometimes as a dip for pork rinds, shrimp chips, or vegetables.
You can find it sold in Thai markets as nam prik pao, but I think you should try making it yourself—I find the flavor is much deeper and richer.
Reprinted from The Pepper Thai Cookbook. Copyright © 2021 by Vilailuck Teigen with Garrett Snyder. Photographs copyright © 2021 by Jenny Huang. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 cloves garlic, sliced
2 medium shallots, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons small dried shrimp
¾ cup dried red chiles, such as Thai, de árbol, or japones
½ cup light brown sugar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or shrimp paste
+ Kosher salt
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