Thai cooking is all about contrast and harmony, bringing together sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and savoury flavours with fresh aromatics and carefully balanced sauces. In this fun, hands-on workshop you'll learn about the authentic ingredients and techniques behind classic Thai street food dishes that have become favourites on restaurant menus around the world: Pad Thai (Thai-style stir-fried rice noodles), Cha Yen (Thai iced tea), and Khao Niao Mamuang (mango sticky rice).
Veteran Thai Chef Piriya Murrell leads this immersive, hands-on cooking class as she walks you through the step-by-step preparation of these classic Thai dishes. You'll enjoy a shared meal, and leave with recipes, new skills, and extra Pad Thai sauce to take home.
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Pad Thai Sauce (ผัดไทย ซ็อต)
The key to a great Pad Thai is a richly flavoured, well-balanced sauce that incorporates the essential elements of Thai cooking: sweet, sour, salty, and savoury umami. You'll learn how to work with ingredients like tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, and shallots to build a versatile sauce that you'll use to make your Pad Thai, with extra to take home. (Bring a jar or container!)
Pad Thai (Thai-style stir fry noodles) (ผัดไทย)
Pad Thai has become one of Thailand’s most beloved and iconic dishes, despite being a relatively recent, 20th century addition to the cuisine. Post-WWII rice shortages led to more noodle dishes on menus, and this local interpretation of an old, Chinese immigrant recipe quickly became a street food staple.
This stir-fried rice noodle dish reflects the creativity and adaptability of Thai street food, combining rice noodles with various proteins (meat or vegetarian), fragrant aromatics, spicy chiles, fresh vegetables and herbs, and the nutty crunch of toasted peanuts, all combined strategically with the complex and addictive prepared sauce.
Even with its many individual elements, Pad Thai comes together in a matter of minutes once everything is prepared in advance and assembled in order. Timing and sequence are key, so everyone will get a chance to practice while assembling their own dish. *We will use chicken or tofu for non-meat eaters.
Cha Yen (Thai iced tea) (ชาเย็น)
The bright orange staple of Thai restaurants (mostly outside of Thailand where this version of the drink has taken the strongest hold) reflects a fascinating crossroads of trade and globalization. The Chinese influence of tea and tea culture blends seamlessly with the import of dairy from Europe (sometimes in the form of condensed or evaporated milk, but often with milk or cream) to make a rich, refreshing beverage that pairs wonderfully with the unctuous sauces and spice of Thai dishes. Piriya will demonstrate how to brew and blend this iconic drink at home.
Khao Niao Mamuang (mango sticky rice) (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง)
A traditional Southeast Asian dessert made from sweet glutinous rice, rich coconut milk, and fresh, ripe mango. Due to time constraints we will not be making the dessert from scratch, but it will be served along with the meal, and Piriya will discuss the preparation and answer any questions about the ingredients and process.
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Originally from a farming family in rural Thailand, Piriya Murrell has always considered food her language and a way of connecting with others. Her passion for Thai cooking has led her to share her knowledge through hands-on cooking classes here in Ontario.
Piriya has spent her career surrounded by food, from owning and operating her own Thai restaurant to managing a bakery for a large food chain. She loves cooking for people and sharing the stories, techniques, and experiences that come with food.
Her hands-on classes invite participants to cook alongside her, learning approachable Thai recipes and techniques they can take home and recreate in their own kitchens. She believes that good food doesn't have to be complicated, and that sharing the experience of cooking and eating together is one of the best ways to bring people together.
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Every week, The Depanneur invites Toronto's best culinary talents to lead fun, hands-on workshops. @thedepanneur
