Chef tips: Master Thai at home

From Longrain to Sailor’s Thai, Jarrod Hudson has worked at some of the best Thai restaurants in the country. Here the chef and owner of Melbourne’s Easy Tiger shares his tips for home cooks.

Fish steamed with pandan and lemongrass Source: China Squirrel

+ Like the look of that Thai-style steamed fish? Here's the recipe. + 

Spice story

“The two most important spices in Thai [cuisine] are white pepper and coriander seed,” says Jarrod Hudson, executive chef and co-owner of Melbourne's Easy Tiger which, sadly, is closing mid-June. 

“Then you’ve got cumin in the curries. Thailand’s so close to China so they use cardamom, cassia bark and star anise in master stocks. It’s so close to India as well – Massaman is an Indian curry but the Thai’s adopted it.”

Essential ingredients

When it comes to cooking Thai at home, Jarrod lists lime leaves, lemongrass, makrut limes, fresh turmeric (yellow and white, if you can find it) as his go-to ingredients.  

“And if there’s one ingredient you need more than anything, it’s dried long red chilli,” he adds. “You can rehydrate them for sauce or curry paste; you can fry them; you can roast them for crispy garnishes.”

Cutting edge

While a commercial gas burner and wok come in handy at Easy Tiger, Jarrod says home cooks can still achieve authentic flavours from a domestic setting. Asked which utensils are essential, Jarrod replies: “A sharp knife will do it, I reckon. You don’t really need a mandolin – you can do everything with a sharp knife if you’ve got the skills.”

 

Have we got your attention and your tastebuds? The Chefs' Line airs 6pm weeknights on SBS. Check out the program page for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more.