'Lord Jim' Cambodian Recipes

This array of Cambodian inspired appetizers features Seafood Rice Paper Rolls, Deep-Fried Spring Rolls, Spicy Chicken Wings, Tender Beef Skewers with Chili Dipping Sauce, Grilled Shrimp Pate Skewers, Roasted Pork Ribs, Golden Fish Cakes, Shrimp Stir-Fry with Mushrooms and Baby Corn, and Spicy Noodles with Asian Vegetables.  

Seafood Rice Paper Rolls

2 cups cooked seafood (shrimp, crab, fish)
1 cucumber, coarsely grated
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
12 rice paper wrappers

Divide seafood, cucumber, carrots and mint into 12 equal portions. Fill a large, shallow dish with warm water and soak a rice paper wrapper until soft and translucent. Carefully transfer the wrapper to a dinner plate. Place one lettuce leaf across the lower half of the wrapper and top with one portion of each filling ingredient. Fold the lower edge of the wrapper up and lightly snuggle it around the filling. Fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper toward the center and roll cigar-style toward the upper edge. Cut spring roll in half on a diagonal angle and place on an attractive serving dish. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with Dipping Sauce

Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake to thoroughly blend.

Cambodian Spring Rolls

Filling:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 pound ground meat (pork, chicken, turkey, shrimp)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

25 large spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil for frying
1 bottle sweet chili sauce

Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet. Add ground meat, onion and garlic and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until meat is done. Add carrot and cabbage and continue stir-frying until cabbage is just tender. Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and remove from heat. When filling mix is cool, spoon about 2 tablespoons diagonally into the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold the pointed edges over the filling and roll the wrapper into a snug cylinder. Moisten the upper point with a little water to seal the wrap.

Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Fry the spring rolls a few at a time until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Cambodian Chicken Wings

24 chicken wings

Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1 lime, juice only
1 knob ginger root, peeled and finely shredded
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 scallions, finely chopped

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large, shallow container with a tight-fitting lid. Add chicken wings and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Basting Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons oyster sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place marinated chicken wings on a large foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes. Switch oven to broil mode and brush basting sauce on chicken wings. Broil for about 5 minutes, until sauce is a deep brown and lightly charred. Turn wings over, baste with remaining sauce and broil until browned. (Chicken wings may also be basted and browned over a charcoal fire).

Cambodian Beef Skewers

1 pound tender beef steak, thinly sliced
12 bamboo skewers

Marinade:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili oil

Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add beef strips, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Preheat grill (electric or charcoal. Assemble meat on skewers. Grill to desired doneness (2 to 5 minutes per side). Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1 knob ginger root, finely shredded
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Cambodian Roast Pork Ribs

2 pounds boneless pork ribs, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add pork, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Wrap pork and marinade in aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 275. Roast foil-wrapped pork for 2 hours. When pork is done, drain marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Preheat oven broiler. Transfer pork to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush pork with thickened marinade and broil until browned and lightly charred. Repeat brushing and turning to evenly brown and char on all sides.

Cambodian Fish Cakes

1 pound fish, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1 jalapeno chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Vegetable oil for frying

Dipping Sauce:
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine flour, eggs, water and oil in a large mixing bowl and stir to form a smooth batter. Add prepared vegetables and seasonings and stir to mix. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a small jar and shake to blend.

Generously oil a large skillet and place over medium heat. When skillet is hot, pour or ladle batter in 3" puddles and use a fork to distribute ingredients evenly. Fry pancakes until golden brown on the bottom, and carefully turn pancakes over to brown on the other side. Remove pancakes from the pan and serve with dipping sauce.

Cambodian Shrimp Stir-Fry

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 can baby corn, drained
1 dozen mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 green onions, cut into 2" lengths

Sauce:
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine all sauce ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet. Add shrimp and garlic and stir-fry until shrimp is just pink. Add sauce mixture and stir until thickened. Add carrots, corn, mushrooms, and onions and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Cambodian Grilled Shrimp Pate

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil

12 bamboo skewers

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse paste. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion of shrimp paste into a 2" oval on a bamboo skewer. Preheat oven broiler or electric grill and grill shrimp skewers until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning once.

Cambodian Noodles

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 knob ginger root, finely shredded
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 carrot, thinly julienned
3 scallions, thinly julienned
1 can water chestnuts, thinly sliced
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
4 servings vermicelli, cooked according to package directions

Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Combine sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup and set aside. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet. Add shrimp and stir-fry until just pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, stir-fry ginger, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, and scallions until just tender. Add shredded cabbage and continue stir-frying until just tender. Add sauce and stir until thickened. Return shrimp to the pan, remove from heat and serve immediately.