Hor Mok - Thai-style steamed seafood in banana leaf
a recipe from a well-travelled aunty...
we recently paid our favourite crab / seafood vendor, Aunty Mei Zhen of Aunty’s Crabs a visit. previously we were given the honour of cooking for her using the crabs she was selling at her stall (watch TikTok video here). this time, she was so eager to cook for us instead!
aunty showed us to how to make her simplified version of Hor Mok, a Thai dish of seafood in spiced custard, a sibling to the local otak-otak / ‘otah’. this was a dish she learnt from her extensive time travelling around Thailand.
the use of store-bought tom yum paste and pre-made yong tau foo fish paste makes this super easy to prepare and is best with the use of fresh seafood if the best quality. we also love how the addition of sliced lime leaves gives the Hor Mok a bright, citrusy and perfumey fragrance.
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Aunty’s EASY Hor Mok (Thai-style Steamed Otak-Otak)
(makes ~ 6-8 large parcels)
6 large saltwater prawns, peeled and diced
2 medium-sized squid, skinned and cut into rings
300g batang fish fillets, cut into 1 inch cubes
200g fish paste
2 tbsp tom yum paste
8 lime leaves, thinly sliced
200ml coconut cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt, to taste
banana leaves and toothpicks, for wrapping
directions:
simply combine all the ingredients into a bowl (except for banana leaf) and mix well using hands, making sure it come up to a homogeneous mixture, with bits and chunks of seafood.
wilt the banana leaves by passing it over a flame.
assemble a ~ 20cm x 20cm sheet of banana leaf and spoon over about ¼ cup portion of the hor mok mixture and slightly spread it out horizontally, leaving about 2 fingers spacing away from the edges on both sides. fold the top and bottom edges over each other.
using 2 bamboo toothpicks, pin the ends of the parcel. repeat processes until you finish the hor mok mixture
boil water in a steamer pot line with a rack. place 1 layer of hor mok parcels, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to a VERY GENTLE simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through. aunty advises against overcooking seafood as they would become rubbery!