Oceans of Flavor

My love affair with Southeast Asian cuisine happened in 1984, when my Navy Squadron, VQ-1, were tasked with flying near Iran, but on the way to the Gulf of Oman, our spirited yet hedonistic crew suddenly found an “unexpected” warning light that was malfunctioning as soon as we entered Thai airspace. Much to our delight, landed near the vacation spot of Pattaya Beach to check it out (the beach that is). As I stood in the 100-degree heat with my best flowered beach shirt, shorts and aircrew boots on waiting for permission to go into town, an older woman on a pedi-cart rolled up to the plane. She had made hot Pad Kra Pra which she doled out to our ravenous crew. This stir-fried minced pork with Thai basil, beans, carrots and shallots was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. As the garlic enveloped my face and teamed up with the heat of the chilies to fog my mind, I remembered thinking, “I’ve gotta have this again.”

In the years since, I have become supremely fond of the brilliant, fresh and bold flavors of Southeast Asia. The lure of heat, fresh crunch and depth are too potent for anyone with taste buds to look away from and I’ve been lucky enough to offer this array of tastes to my customers and expand my revenue stream. Here are some flavor profiles from the region.

• Philippines. Use of beef and pork as well as seafood proteins dominate with less dramatic flavors and less chilies. Vinegar and meat broths are used. Spanish occupation shows its influence in the albondigas or sweet and sour meatballs and Bistek Tagalog with sirloin cooked La Plancha with oregano, cumin, soy, onions and garlic and the lemony calamansi sauce from the Philippine lime.
• Laotian and Cambodian. Simple cooking styles dominate with Loatian, more of a homestyle feel using foraged ingredients like frogs, eels and roots. Both use less fish sauce, and more soy sauce. Cambodian cooking is not as hot and less sweet as other Asian cuisines although they use more galangal and lemongrass.
• Thai. Seems to always have a great balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot. Curry has heat with chilies, sour with limes and lemon as well as lime leaf and lemongrass for sourness. Tamarind is both tart and sweet. Salt comes from fish sauce, soy sauce or salted fish; sweetness from coconut milk, pineapple and mango. Cilantro, mint and Thai basil offer a great finishing taste to a lot of dishes.
• Vietnamese. French influences abound here like baguettes the Pho and Banh Mi and even pate are found. Citrusy and light stir fries and noodle dishes are slow simmered with lemongrass and star anise and include a multitude of vegetables and a lot of pepper. Soy glazed meats and pickled vegetables with the heat of bird chilies can take your breath away. 
• Malaysian and Indonesian. These countries exhibit a melting pot of flavors from India to China and Thailand. Spices dominate both as rice, noodle and soup dishes are popular in Indonesia as well as curried meat, meatballs and spring rolls. In Malaysia, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch influences meld with Chinese to produce dishes line Chicken Rice and Laksa, the thick rice noodle dish in a spicy broth flavored with tamarind and coconut.

Southeast Asian flavor profiles for the Pizzeria

It’s easy enough to identify the ingredients and processes in creating Southeast Asian cuisine but incorporating them into your pizzeria or restaurant menu mix takes thought and preparation. Before presenting a Southeast Asian Pizza, I always check to see the most familiar sandwiches and street food that Americans are familiar with. It pays to look at your pizza like an open-faced sandwich and construct it with items both before and after the oven, (it also doesn’t have to be cheesy.) Here are some ingredients that pair well with your existing makeline ingredients.

• Chili Jam, (Nam Prik Pao). This is one of the most common condiments in Thailand and consists of dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, Thai chilies, tamarind paste and fish sauce. It can easily be added to coat chicken pieces or with boneless chicken wings. Great with green peppers, jalapeños, pineapple, mushroom, aged provolone or Asiago, anchovies, roasted garlic, caramelized onion, ham and even pepperoni. Variations include making chili mayo, chili béchamel sauce, sweet chili honey, glazed pineapple and chili salsa with onion, cilantro and sweet peppers.
• Pickled onion, peppers, bean sprouts and carrot. The combinations are endless. Use the chili jam above or with green apples or Asian pear with vinegar, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, salt and sugar. These will keep for a long time in the refrigerator and marry well as a finishing item with fresh cilantro.
• Thai Curried Onions. Probably the biggest bang for the buck is simply roasting your makeline onions with Green, Red or Yellow Thai chili paste, a little oil and water. The onions transfer the flavor and sweeten the curry to make either a sauce with a blender or just on strong cheeses like feta, provolone and Romano. The surprising addition of maple-glazed ham or pork is a real winner.

Cambodian Khmere Sausage Pizza

This sausage pizza is all about preparation. Once the sausage, mayo and carrots are prepared, you’ll be ready to go. Much of the lovely part of this pizza is the freshness and crunch of the after-oven items of what most Southeast Asian aficionados call the “Holy Trintiy” of cucumber, cilantro and carrot. You may make additions to this like peanuts but may turn off anyone who is allergic to them.

Get the Cambodian Khmere Sausage Pizza recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.