The Le Cordon Bleu alumna shares two of her favourite, gourmet recipes.

By Tom McLean

Born and raised in Bangkok, I took my formative steps into the culinary world with classes at UFM Baking & Cooking School during the summer holidays. These short lessons sparked a love of cooking that led me to study under talented chefs at Le Cordon Bleu, Australia and Le Cordon Bleu, Dusit Thani, with a focus on both food preparation and restaurant management. Having graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with Le Grand Diplôme, my cooking style leans towards both classic French dishes and international fare, which my parents are often given the job of critiquing. With the COVID-19 lockdown allowing me more time to pursue my passions, I have recently begun selling a variety of baked goodies on Instagram (@sweetmagic_th), with a view to pursuing my lifelong dream of owning a small restaurant or café.

CLASSIC BISQUE

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 45 – 60 MINUTES

SERVING: 2-3

INGREDIENTS:
• 500g-1kg crab and/or prawns
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1-2 leeks or celery stalks, diced
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1–2 tbsps tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 10g black peppercorn
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 60ml dry white wine (optional)
• 30ml Calvados or brandy (optional)
• 500ml fish or chicken stock
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1-2 pinches of sugar
• 50–100g cream and butter (to garnish)
• 5g flour (for thickening)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare and heat the stock in a pan.
2. Pour the olive oil into a separate pot and heat at medium heat. Add the seafood with their shells on and cook until fragrant.
3. Remove the seafood from the pot and add the onions, carrots, celery or leeks, and fresh tomatoes. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
4. Add the seafood back into the pot along with the garlic and stir. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
5. (Optional) Pour a small amount of brandy or Calvados into the pot whilst scraping the bottom of the pan, in order to deglaze it.
6. Add white wine (optional) and simmer. Then add the tomato paste and lightly season again with salt and pepper. Stir frequently. Add a pinch or two of sugar to cut through the acidity.
7. On high heat, add the stock, ensuring that all of the ingredients are covered. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorn and bring to a boil.
8. After the mixture reaches its boiling point, lower the temperature and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
9. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until the consistency becomes smooth. Strain the mixture into a separate pot to remove the shells. Place the new pot on the stove and bring to a boil.
10. Sift flour into the mixture and heat until it thickens, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the cream and butter, remove from heat, and serve.

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 45 – 60 MINUTES

SERVING: 2-3

INGREDIENTS:
• 200g Arborio rice
• 50g onions, finely chopped
• 10g garlic, finely chopped
• 500ml mushroom stock
• 300g mushrooms of your choice (Portobello, champignon etc.)
• 50g cream and butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tbsp truffle paste (optional)
• 1 sprig of parsley, chopped (to garnish)
• 100ml white wine (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add 1 and a half tbsps of olive oil to a flat, stainless steel pan, along with the onions and garlic. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their water.
2. Lightly season the mushrooms with salt and pepper then remove them from the pan. Chop the sautéed mushrooms into comfortably bite-sized pieces.
3. On low heat, add another splash of olive oil to the pan, along with the onions and garlic.
4. Add the rice first and then the white wine, and gently stir-fry until the rice is covered in the oil/wine mixture.
5. Slowly add the stock to the rice in small increments, while cooking on medium heat. Take care not to add too much stock at once as it will make the rice soggy.
6. When the rice is almost cooked, add the sautéed mushrooms, along with the truffle paste (optional). Very lightly season again with salt and pepper and continue to cook on a medium/high heat.
7. After the rice is thoroughly cooked, add the cream and butter and top with parmesan shavings (optional) and chopped parsley. Serve.