Big Four Paste

Posted by philocrates at recipegoldmine.com 5/14/02 6:34:57 pm

Source: (Glurh, Ka-Tiem, Prikk Thai, Rugg Pakk Chee) Courtesy of Su-Mei Yu's Cracking the Coconut

The Big Four Paste, which can be made ahead and refrigerated for a month, is extremely versatile. For grilling: Coat one pound meat, fish, or shellfish with the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon olive oil; rub generously with 1 teaspoon Big Four Paste. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Grill.

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons Thai white peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
12 to 15 cloves garlic, minced (1/2 cup)
1 cup minced cilantro stems and roots

To prepare with a food processor: Heat a 7-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds and dry-roast, sliding the skillet back and forth over the burner, until seeds are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a small bowl to cool and repeat with the peppercorns. When cool, grind the coriander seeds and peppercorns separately in an electric spice or coffee grinder and transfer to separate bowls.

Fit the food processor with a steel blade. Add the sea salt, garlic, and cilantro roots and stems and pulse until finely minced, scraping down the side of the bowl frequently. Add the ground spices and process to a paste. Transfer to a jar, seal, and refrigerate.

Makes 3/4 cup