spicy sphagetti with scallop - thai style

Spicy Sphagetti with Scallop : Thai Style

9 of scallops
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
4-6 of chillies, roughly crushed
5-6 leaves of sweet basil, roughly chopped

sphagetti - as much as you like

2 teaspoons of abalone sauce ( or oyster sauce)
1 teaspoon of seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons of extra olive oil
1 teaspoon of rock salt
a pinch of sugar


preparation

One of the great things about Thai food is its flexibility. Most people associate pasta with Italian food, yet here we have an authentic Thai dish made with spaghetti. Many Thai people would cook this dish with noodles but many of my farang friends don’t much care for noodles. So here we have a great compromise, Thai taste with Italian pasta. Call it Thai fusion if you want. I just like the look and the taste and it is so easy to prepare.

First task. Cook the spaghetti. Not your most complicated task. Heat some olive oil in a wok or frying pan and add garlic and chillis. I use red chillis for color but green chillis are just as good. Cook the garlic and chilli until you start to feel the chillis aroma. Add onion and continue frying until about half cooked. The onions should be soft but not browned. Add your scallops. Remember that the cardinal sin with any fish or seafood is over cooking. Keep your heat at medium and stir a lot, but gently. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, together with oyster and seasoning sauce. Stir until the scallops are cooked. It should not take more than 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the spaghetti and fresh Thai basil. Be generous with the basil. It really does make the dish. Garnish with some un-chopped basil leaves and there you have it.

Spicy spaghetti with scallops, Thai style. Delicious and easy. You can be eating in less than twenty minutes. You could make the same dish with chicken breast, pork loin and just about any white fish.

A couple of tips. I have provided quantities but feel free to alter them to your taste. Thai food is not exact in its quantities. In fact, most classical Thai recipes don’t include quantities at all. Also, it is worth grinding the chilli and garlic a little in a pestle before you fry. It does improve the aroma.