Best Papaya Salad Som Tam Recipes

THAI GRILLED CHICKEN WITH THAI GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (GAI YANG WITH SOM TAM)

Steps:

• For the Thai grilled chicken: Spatchcock each chicken by placing it breast-side down on a cutting board with the legs closest to you. Use kitchen shears to cut down the backbone. Flip the chicken over and press down in the center of the breast to flatten. Prick the skin side all over with a fork.
• Add the cilantro roots, fish sauce, palm sugar, peppercorns, oyster sauce, turmeric, salt and 4 cloves of the garlic to a food processor. Process until all the peppercorns are broken up and a chunky paste is formed.
• Rub the chicken all over with the paste (including under the skin) and marinate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook the remaining 8 cloves garlic with the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, capturing the oil in a small bowl beneath. Spread the garlic on a plate to cool; reserve for serving.
• Before grilling, bring the chicken to room temperature for an hour. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil over the chicken.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a double-burner grill pan over medium heat.
• Place chickens skin-side down on the grill pan at a 45 degree angle. Cook until marked by the grill pan, flipping once to create crosshatches, about 5 minutes. Transfer skin-side up to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
• Trim off the spiky top and the base from the lemongrass, peel off the first few outer layers and then bruise the stalk with the heel of a chef's knife; this helps release the flavorful oils. Using the bruised lemongrass as a brush, baste the chickens all over with some of the remaining garlic oil.
• Cook in the oven until the chickens are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes. For the last 2 minutes of baking, switch the oven to broil.
• Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and then cut each into pieces. Garnish with the reserved garlic.
• For the Thai green papaya salad: Add the garlic, chiles, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice to a food processor. Process until a chunky paste is formed. (At this point you can adjust the flavor to your liking; add more fish sauce for a saltier taste, more lime juice to make the salad more sour.)
• Transfer the paste to a large bowl and add the papaya, long beans, tomatoes and the dried shrimp and 1 tablespoon of the peanuts if using. Mix together by hand, rubbing the paste into the salad, making sure to coat everything.
• Transfer the salad to a serving dish, making sure to get all the dressing. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts if using.

GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM MALAKOR)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place peanuts on a baking sheet.
• Toast in the preheated oven until fragrant and browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Grind roasted peanuts, Thai chilies, garlic, dried shrimp, and sugar in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Stir in lime juice and fish sauce to make dressing.
• Toss papaya, tomatoes, green beans, and carrot with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)

Steps:

• Cut off both ends of papaya. Use a vegetable peeler to remove green skin. To shred the papaya, hold it in one hand and use a knife to rapidly chop long, shallow cuts into the surface (making sure all the cuts run lengthwise, in the same direction). Then, thinly slice off the top layer into a bowl. This Thai method of shredding results in papaya strands that are pleasingly irregular and rustic. (Once you get the hang of it, it gets easier and you'll get much faster, but another option is to use a peeler with a shredding blade.) Shred ⅓-½ of the papaya, about 2 loosely packed cups; make sure there are no seeds.(Reserve the rest of the papaya for a different use, or for additional servings of papaya salad.)
• Salad: Place the clay mortar on a towel to keep it stable. To the mortar, add garlic, chiles, and softened palm sugar. Using a long spoon (to mix) and the pestle (to pound), pound and mix the chiles and garlic to break them up, about 10 seconds. Add two quartered pieces of Key lime, and continue pounding and mixing just enough to release juices, 10 seconds. (From this point on, pound lightly to bruise the ingredients and release flavors; do not smash.) Add shrimp; pound lightly, then mix for 5 seconds.
• Trim the long beans and slice into 2½-inch pieces; you should have about ¼ cup of long beans. Add to the mortar; pound lightly to bruise, then mix for 5 more seconds. Add papaya, fish sauce, tamarind water, and lime juice. (To make tamarind water from tamarind pulp: boil 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp; let cool for 30 minutes; strain.) Use the pestle to lightly pound the salad to the bottom of the mortar, and the spoon to turn the salad over, about 1 minute. Add halved cherry tomatoes, lightly pound, then mix, 10 seconds; add peanuts and toss with the spoon. (Do not pound the peanuts, as they will release oil and make the salad greasy).
• Serve: Place cabbage wedge on the edge of a serving platter. Arrange papaya salad on platter and serve immediately.

THAI GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)

Steps:

• Using a mortar and pestle, pound chilies and garlic to course texture. Add papaya, green beans, tomatoe and pound 1-2 minutes longer, mixing with a spoon while pounding. Add dried shrimps, peanuts, dressing and mix well. Serve immediately with cabbage and lettuce leaves. Goes well with Thai style BBQ chicken and steamed sticky rice.

SOM TAM (GREEN PAPAYA SALAD)

Steps:

• Combine chilies, garlic and shallots. Grind and pound with a mortar and pestle until broken down, but not mushy. Using a spoon, scrape down sides and mix well. Add papaya, pound until the stiff shreds become limp and soft (about 3 minutes). Using a spoon, scrape and turn the mixture. Add beans and pound to bruise them. Add sugar, salt and fish sauce one at a time, pounding a little after each addition. Squeeze in the juice from each section of lime, then add the lime pieces to the mortar as well. Add tomato, pound another minute, turning mixture as before. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings, which should be a mixture of sour, hot, salty and sweet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer salad to a small platter. Drizzle on some remaining sauce and serve with sticky rice.

GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)

Steps:

• Put the garlic, chilies, and long beans into a mortar and pound roughly. Add the papaya and pound again to bruise the ingredients. Then add the dried shrimps, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar and stir together using the pestle and a spoon until the palm sugar has melted. Add the anchovy sauce and tomatoes and pound to combine. Then add the peanuts and mix together. Serve with sticky rice.