Spice Up Your New Year’s Eve With Maenam

Ring in 2021 with the bold Thai flavours of Vancouver restaurant Maenam’s special New Year’s Eve Chef’s Tasting Menu ($58 per person, minimum two people), either as a dine-in meal or in the comfort of your own homes.

For the first time ever, chef Angus An is introducing takeout as an option for his four-course year-end feast, ticking all the boxes by also offering pescatarian and vegetarian menus. Included in each of the three options: a duo of snacks to pique the palate, two starters (including soup) to lead off your feast, a trio of main-course dishes thoughtfully chosen for complementary flavours and textures, and a pair of desserts for a sweet finish. Choice courses from the chef’s tasting menu include spicy grilled scallop, red cumin curry of duck confit and grilled banana with coconut-caramel sauce. Plus, wine pairings by the glass or, if you’re staying home, a thoughtfully selected bottle of B.C.’s Tantalus 2019 Riesling that’s specially priced for New Year’s Eve ($50).

If culinary exploration is on your slate of New Year’s resolutions, learn more about the subtle nuances of chef Angus An’s dishes by picking up a copy of his new cookbook, Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking (which includes the recipe below). And each purchase is a way to pay it forward, as An will be donating 10 per cent of all December cookbook sales at Maenam and its sister restaurants to the BC Cancer Foundation. Happy New Year indeed! —Vita Daily

Scallop Ceviche

4-8 large live bay scallops, or IQF scallops (see tip)
2-4 Tbsp Seafood Nahm Jim (page 132)
2 Tbsp finely sliced lemongrass, to garnish
2 Tbsp finely sliced fresh long-leaf coriander, to garnish
1 Tbsp finely julienned Makrut lime leaves, to garnish
Few sprigs of fresh coriander, to garnish
2-4 Tbsp cured salmon roe or sustainable caviar (see tip on page 48), to garnish (optional)
Edible flowers, to garnish (optional) 2 Tbsp Fried Shallots (page 235),
to garnish

Clean the scallop shells with a brush to remove all sand and dirt. The shells will be used as presentation and serving pieces. Using a flexible palette knife, pry open the two shells slightly, wide enough to stick in your thumb. The tension from the shells might feel uncomfortable, but it will be brief. Insert the palette knife and scrape the inside of the top flat shell until you separate the flesh from the shell. Open the flat top completely and flex the palette knife while scraping the bottom bowl-shaped shell. Once the flesh is completely dislodged from the shell, set it aside in a bowl on ice. Scrape the inside of the shells clean and wash them thoroughly; reserve for serving. To trim the scallop meat, remove the outer mantle and the liver (black piece), keeping the flesh (muscle) and the roe (orange piece). For this recipe, only the muscle is needed; however, the roe is a tasty piece to incorporate into the ceviche should you feel adventurous. Slice each scallop into four wedges. Place the scallop wedges back onto the shells and dress each with about ½ tablespoon nahm jim. Garnish with lemongrass, long-leaf coriander, Makrut lime leaves, and coriander sprigs. I also like to serve it with cured salmon roe and an edible flower. Sprinkle the fried shallots on last for texture. Serve immediately.

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