Thainess runs deep in Chef Andrew Martin's heart, especially when it comes to pungent and full-flavoured creations that keep diners coming back to the 2023 one MICHELIN Starred 80/20 in the old town of Bangkok. The sapidity of Stormy Sea flows into a salty and sour pleasantness, finishing in a refreshing and mouth-watering palate that the dish receives a big nod from the MICHELIN Inspectors as they pen down as a must-try dish of the restaurant.
Cherishing his memory of growing up in a Canadian-Japanese household, the 37-year-old fitness enthusiast shares his simple MICHELIN Guide At Home recipe that bridges his Japanese background with his current home of Thailand as well as serving explosions of flavour intertwined with health benefits.
Yum Pla Dib (Raw Fish Salad)
For dressing
Ingredients:
- 50 grams, palm sugar
- 60 grams, fish sauce
- 60 grams, lime juice
- 30 grams, Som Cheng juice or any fragrant orange
- 5 grams, coriander root or stem
- 25 grams, birds eye chilli (green and red if possible or just red)
- 10 grams, garlic
- 25 grams, ripe sweet mango flesh
Methods:
- With a pinch of salt, in a mortar and pestle “pok pok” or pound all ingredients until smooth starting with the coriander root, followed in steps by the chilli, garlic, and mango.
- Add sugar and remaining ingredients and taste to make sure the flavour is happy for your taste buds and adjust accordingly.
- Alternatively, you can blend all ingredients together in a blender.
For salad mix
Ingredients:
- 100 grams, hamachi or any raw fish of choice
- 60 grams, cooked and cleaned fresh crab meat
- 5 grams, grated roasted coconut
- 25 grams, roasted cashew nuts
- 5 grams, sliced bird's eye chilli (red and green if possible)
- 45 grams, ripe sweet mango
- 55 grams, cherry tomatoes
- 10 grams, lemongrass
- 15 grams, coriander leaf
- 10 grams, mint leaf
- 5 grams, kaffir lime leaf
- 40 grams, peach
- 25 grams, sea grapes or any seaweed of choice
Methods:
- Cut the fish into small bite size pieces about the size of the cherry tomatoes.
Halve the tomatoes, slice the peaches and mango about the same size so all the ingredients are uniform. - Slice the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf as thin as possible. Lightly crush the cashew nuts.
- Reserve a small amount of sliced chilli, mint, coriander, cashew nuts and coconut for garnish.
Final assembly
- Rest the crab and fish in the dressing for 1 minute. Add all remaining ingredients (except those saved for garnish) and in a bowl, together gently and thoroughly so the ingredients remain whole.
- Place in a chilled bowl for serving in a nice fashion. Pour all dressing over the mixture. Garnish with the remaining ingredients and enjoy.
Tips from the chef: “This dish is versatile. You can also switch the ingredients to something similar that you enjoy eating. For instance, switch from sun mandarin orange or lemon for Som Cheng. Scallop for crab. Lime zest for kaffir lime leaf. Feel free to opt out the mint if you prefer not. At the end of the day, we just want to serve a fresh, sour, sweet, chilled, and spicy salad.”
