Singapore hawker marathon: Coconut rice part two, lemongrass fried chicken and fragrant salmon cake

Ingredients

FRAGRANT SALMON SHRIMP CAKE/OTAH:
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) water
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 cup (30 grams) dried shrimps (see note *)
• 1/4 cup (25 grams) cashew or walnuts
• 2 tbsp ginger, roughly cut
• 2 small shallots, roughly cut
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 lb (230 grams) skinless boneless salmon, diced
• 0.4 lb (180 grams) peeled deveined shrimps, diced
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) coconut milk
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, with tough stems removed
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/2 lemon zest
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• banana leaves, or zongzi leaves, or parchment paper for wrapping (see note **)
LEMONGRASS FRIED CHICKEN:
• 10 pieces (total about 2.3 lb) combination of chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts and wings
• 2 tsp (14 grams) balacan shrimp paste or Thai shrimp paste (see note ***)
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) water
• 2 lemongrass, roughly cut
• 3 tbsp (70 grams) ginger, peeled
• 1 small shallot, roughly cut
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsp (30 grams) fish sauce
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 small handful of fresh curry leaves, if available
• 1/4 cup vodka (see note ****)
• 1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch

Instructions

1. FRAGRANT SALMON SHRIMP CAKE/OTAH: In a blender, blend water, coconut oil, Thai red curry paste, dried shrimps, cashew, ginger, shallot and ground coriander until smoothly pureed. Transfer into a non-stick pot (or else it will burn easily) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated, and the mixture is deeply caramelized and dark read in color, about 15~20 minutes. Transfer it back into the blender, along with salmon, shrimps, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, egg, dark brown sugar and lemon zest. Pulse as many times as needed until the mixture turns into a thick, sticky paste.
2. If using dried zongzi leaves, bring a pot of water to boil then soak them for 30 minutes to soften. If using banana leaves or parchment papers, cut them into large rectangles about 16" x 5" (40 x 13cm). Brush the surface of the banana leaves or zongzi leaves with a bit of canola oil, then place a long dollop (about 3~4 tbsp) of the salmon-mixture in the the upper-middle location (see photo "salmon shrimp cake 3"), then press a fresh mint leaf into the surface of the filling. The width of the filling should NOT exceed 1/3 of the width of the wrapper, and do not attempt to over-stuff it. Length-wise, fold one side of the wrapper over the top of the filling, then another side over to enclose, like folding a letter. Then bend the longer end of the wrapper (fold it at where the tip of the filling ends) towards the back, and secure the two ends of the wrapper together with a toothpick. If you're using parchment paper, you don't even need toothpicks (see photo "salmon shrimp cake 4").
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Grill the wraps until the leaves or parchments are charred on both sides and the fish cake is cooked, about 4~6 minutes. Can be made the day ahead of time, and kept in a container inside the fridge until needed. Before serving, reheat gently a little on the grill or inside the microwave just to warm up.
4. LEMONGRASS FRIED CHICKEN: Wash, pat dry, and place the chickens inside a large bowl.
5. Since the marinate is "raw", we have to pre-toast the shrimp paste for a more well-rounded flavor. With a spoon, press the shrimp paste in a small skillet and toast over medium heat until dry and crumbly, essentially cooked. Transfer it into a blender along with water, lemongrass, ginger, shallot, garlics, fish sauce, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder, ground white pepper and salt. Blend until the mixture is a slightly fibrous puree. Transfer the marinate over the chicken, and add fresh curry leaves if using. Toss until even then cover with plastic-wrap. Marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight, flipping once.
6. Add enough canola oil in a frying-pot until it reaches at least 2" (5 cm) deep, and heat over medium-high heat util it bubbles up immediately around an inserted wooden chopstick (about 330 F). Meanwhile, add vodka and potato starch, and mix until evenly incorporated. The liquid should resemble a very watery batter, which will help the lemongrass marinate stick onto the chicken.
7. Use a tongs to grab the chickens, trying to include a good layer of marinate and curry leaves on the surface of the chickens, and lower into the frying-pot without crowding. Fry until *deeply browned (you have to go a couple shades DARKER for this recipe than typical fried chickens) and crispy on all side, about 5 minutes on each side depending. If the chickens brown too fast, lower the temperature accordingly. If at the end, there are individual curry leaves being left behind, throw them into the fryer as well and fry until crispy.
8. Drain well, and dust with more ground white pepper. Serve immediately with the rest of the components. You can also fry the chickens a few hours ahead of time, then re-fry them for just a couple minutes to bring them back to crispiness in hotter oil about 350 F.

Notes