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Private Notes
In this first episode Marion travels back to her maternal homeland and after picking up her Mum Noi and Dad Charlie in Bangkok – heads south away from the hustle and bustle of a modern city and deep into the Thai countryside to a modest little village called Nakhom Chung.
Today’s episode is all about that most fundamental of all Thai staple ingredients: rice. Marion meets her friend Nym (a respected food writer) in a rice shop - where they talk about the many varieties of rice on offer and the subtle differences between each that most westerners couldn’t pick.
Today’s episode is all about the food of the sea: fish. Marion starts the day on the beach at Pran Buri in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan – where she watches the fishing trawlers come in before bbquing fresh prawns and squid to serve with a spicy Nahm Jim Sauce.
Where would Thai food be without the contrasting flavours of coconut and chilli? On today's show Marion cooks with these ingredients and visits a coconut plantation in Pran Buri where a monkey gathers coconuts.
Marion cooks classic chicken dishes like her family's favourite: 'Beggar's Chicken' which is braised in a soy broth and cooked in a big pot with lots of spices. She then makes the spicy chicken salad she ate as a child
You can't really separate Monarchy and a Buddhist heritage from Thai culture and cuisine. Marion and Noi cook breakfast for the monks in the temple kitchen and present it at a Buddhist ceremony.
Marion goes to the local meat market in Cha-Am and gives tips for buying fresh meat - something vitally important in a country where refrigeration isn't universal. She then cooks some authentic Thai meat dishes.
Marion takes us to a traditional herbal medicine shop where we learn about the health properties of many Thai ingredients. Marion's mum Noi, shows her how to make a spicy mushroom salad, Laab Het.
Marion gets up in the middle of the night to find out how Thailand's most famous noodles are made and how they're served up a local market. She also looks at the most popular of all Thai take-aways: Pad Thai.
Marion and Thailand's most popular and acclaimed chef, Chef Chumpol make a national dish: Nam Prik Kapi, from a bit of a secret recipe. Marion cooks a whole fish which is steamed in banana leaves on a charcoal BBQ.
