Sweetpotato Khao Soi
Roasted North Carolina Sweetpotato, Heirloom Grain Noodles, and Fresh Herbs
Chef Taylor Stark of The Wolf's Tailor | Denver
Adapted by StarChefs | july 2022
INGREDIENTS:
Red Curry Paste:
Yield: 3 cups
1 quart dried bird’s eye chiles, stems removed
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 cup black peppercorns
¼ cup ground turmeric
1 cup peeled and sliced ginger
1 cup peeled and sliced galangal
5 shallots, sliced
6 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
3 bunches cilantro stems
Khao Soi:
Yield: 8 quarts
1.5 kilograms peeled and large-diced North Carolina sweetpotatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
150 grams sunflower oil
150 grams thinly sliced lemongrass
250 grams peeled and sliced ginger
250 grams crushed garlic
250 grams sliced shallots
8 quarts coconut milk
400 grams palm sugar
5 grams makrut lime leaves
50 grams salt
8 grams ground turmeric
250 grams lime juice
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon lime juice
1.5 ounces raw extruded noodles
Shaved celtuce
Sweet alyssum
Fresh Origins cilantro flowers
Fresh Origins micro Thai basil
Fresh Origins violas
METHOD:
For the Red Curry Paste:
In a pan, toast chiles, cumin, coriander, and peppercorns until fragrant. Transfer to a Vitamix blender and add turmeric; blend until powderized. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. In a clean Vitamix blender, add all remaining ingredients. Purée until smooth, adding a small amount of water as needed. Add purée to spice blend and mix to combine by hand. Transfer to a nonreactive container and refrigerate until needed.
For the Khao Soi:
Heat oven to 400°F. Drizzle sweetpotatoes with olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer sweetpotatoes to an oven-safe pan and cover with foil. Roast until fall-apart tender, approximately 40 minutes. In a small stock pot over medium flame, heat sunflower oil. Add aromatics and gently sweat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and tender. Add 100 grams Red Curry Paste and continue to stir an additional 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, palm sugar, lime leaves, salt, turmeric, and roasted sweetpotatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and cook 1 hour. Remove pot from heat and add lime juice. In batches, add the mixture to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Transfer soup base to a nonreactive container and let cool. Reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small pot, gently heat 4 ounces Khao Soi. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and boil 4 to 5 minutes. Drop the cooked noodles on one side of a soup bowl, then ladle Khao Soi on the other side. Garnish with celtuce, alyssum, cilantro flowers, thai basil, and viola. Serve with chopsticks and a soup spoon.
