Miang Gung
I first had this appetizer as street food, near a market in Bangkok. The combination of raw ingredients normally used as flavoring agents for cooked dishes was intriguing and refreshing. The betel leaf used to hold everything together gave an additional bite to the dish. Betel leaves are impossible to find here, but the dish remains delicious with spinach leaves or even lettuce. If you’re not familiar with Thai fish sauce (nam pla), see page 500. You put it all together at the table, so it’s kind of fun. Serve this as the start to any meal featuring other food from Southeast Asia.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the first four ingredients and 1/2 cup of the coconut in a blender. Blend until smooth, keeping the blender running and adding just enough water, about 1/2 cup, to produce a saucelike consistency. Set aside.
Step 2
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 2 to 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again, and chop into small dice.
Step 3
Serve at the table. Each guest should put a bit of the shrimp, shallots, galangal, chiles, lemongrass, peanuts, and remaining coconut in the center of the betel or other leaf. Spoon some of the sauce and squeeze some of the lime onto the filling, wrap loosely, and eat.
