MarkKim + Chef (2023-…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Episode #1.7 - full transcript

Hi.

- Where are the other cameras?
- Here...

I think everyone knows by now

how much we love to eat.

Welcome to our kitchen!

We also love to cook...

but we're not really good at it.

We're going to be moving towards

the next chapter of our lives together.

That's right.

We'll be walking down the aisle soon.



So this is a good time for us

to sharpen our cooking skills

in the comforts of our own kitchen.

That's why we've recruited

some of the most celebrated chefs

in Thailand to teach us.

They'll be cooking in their homes

while we cook in ours.

The chef's waiting for us.

Let's see if we can pull this off!

- Hello!
- Hi, Chef Black!

Hello.

Today, we're with Chef Black

Phanuphon Bulsuwan.



He's the owner of renowned restaurant

Blackitch Artisan Kitchen in Chiang Mai.

It is a chef's table-style restaurant

that serves innovative seasonal dishes

which Chef Black calls

holistic localised artisanal cuisine.

He's also our friend.

We can't wait to see

what he has in store for us today.

Chef, I have my family with me today.

Jen, Dan and Tom.

- Hello
- Hello there.

- Hello!
- This is Chef Black.

May we open this?

I've sent you some of the ingredients.

Open the bags and see whats in there.

- Why is there so much stuff?
- It's a lot!

How are we gonna get through these?

Babe, what is this?

I'm going to lose a finger today.

Mark, did you choose your outfit

to match those knives?

Oh yeah.

You can stab me according
to the colours.

What?

OK, I'll do that.

You've appointed Mark
as today's head chef

and me as the sous-chef.

That's right.

What's the difference between

a head chef and a sous-chef?

A head chef has to manage

and organise everything in the kitchen

while the sous-chef's responsibility

is to assist the head chef.

So you have to follow my orders.

But I got this feeling the head chef

will be the one doing the dishes later.

The head chef will wash the dishes.

That's not a head chef's job.

That's normally the assistant's job.

Yes, but it's different today.

That's just what you think.

Let me tell you what
we're cooking today.

We're making

Northern Thai-style chicken schnitzel

with prickly ash.

As well as German sausage

and zucchini

served with khao soi sauce.

We'll also be making sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut!

But first, let me explain

my choice of dishes for today.

Yes, why these dishes?

There are some similarities between

Northern Thai cuisine
and German cuisine.

There are some German curry pastes

which share many of the same ingredients

as khao soi.

Ingredients such as cumin and masala.

- I see!
- We can mix and match.

Also, these dishes reflect

your respective backgrounds.

Awesome!

Let's start with the first dish

which is Northern Thai-style

chicken schnitzel with prickly ash.

- OK.
- Which of this is the prickly ash?

Prickly ash.

- Which one is it?
- Is this it?

- Is this it?
- Yes, that's the one.

Prickly ash is the main spice

in many Northern Thai dishes.

It has a citrusy and fruity aroma

similar to that of oranges and lemons

but sometimes
it can also smell like plums.

Don't eat it!

Oh, I just did.

It'll numb your tongue.

OK, shall we start?

OK, let's start.

First, wash your hands.

Mark, you can try deboning the chicken.

Here it is.

First, just pull off the chicken skin

if you don't want to eat the skin.

You can always keep it
and deep-fry it later.

It will make for a crisp topping.

I think you can use this as a face mask.

No!

Next, grab a paring knife.

Cut the meat carefully

along the bones like this.

Babe, watch your fingers!

Do it on the chopping board!

I'm doing it the way you are!

You did do it like that.

I was just showing you how.

So, using the tip of your knife

carefully cut along the bone.

See? Cut and slowly open it up.

Chef, mine doesn't look so good.

Do it gently.

Done.

Show me what you did.

Oh, that's fine! That's pretty good.

Our sous-chef is getting
the hang of things.

Next, we're going to marinate
the chicken

with some prickly ash salt.

OK, prickly ash salt.

Take a pinch and sprinkle it

on the chicken from high up.

Too high!

Make sure to sprinkle it

evenly over the chicken.

Sprinkle it all over.

You mean all over the countertop?

Not the countertop!

All over the chicken.

OK, now turn them over.

After we're done with this

we're going to add paprika.

Sprinkle it the same way

very lightly on both sides.

It's all over. It's all over my hands.

All over my hands.

Give it a bit of a massage.

Give the chicken a massage?

Massaging the chicken will ensure that

the salt and paprika
coat the chicken evenly.

Next, wrap it with plastic wrap
like this.

OK.

Pull it out like this.

Oh, I can't. Did you get it?

Next, the meat tenderiser!

Will this work?

Oh, I don't think so.

It's better to use the hammer.

Go ahead and pound it.

Pound it rhythmically.

The chicken meat we have here

has an uneven thickness.

By pounding on it, we flatten the meat

to give it a uniform thickness

so that the meat will cook evenly.

Oh, so that's why we're doing this.

- Flatten it.
- Flattening it.

- It's flat now.
- It's flat now.

OK.

I have a question, Chef.

Ask away.

How did you become a chef?

My family had a restaurant.

Back when I was little

we would go visit my grandma

at the restaurant every summer.

I would run around

and help with the food preparation

in the kitchen.

I fell in love with cooking then.

When I grew up,
I went to culinary school

where I learnt about food

and that reignited

my childhood passion for cooking.

So, there's a story
behind your career choice.

Indeed.

- Are you done, Mark?
- Yes, I'm done.

We're going to prepare the flour.

Flour

As well as eggs.

Crack two eggs

Oh, my god! I did it!

Very good!

Very good.

I'm so proud of myself.

Next, beat the eggs

to make an egg wash.

Next, we need...

breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs.

Pour it into a separate bowl.

Before we start breading the chicken

we're going to preheat the oven.

That's because

we're going to fry the chicken

and then bake it.

Set the oven to 180°C.

180°C.

For 30 minutes.

OK.

Because the chicken doesn't

cook through when we fry it.

Also, baking will help

to drain some of the excess oil.

That sounds good.

It's good to hear that

some of the excess oil will be drained.

Place your first piece of chicken

into the flour bowl.

Then, turn it over gently.

Do it gently.

So, for your other hand...

we'll call it the wet hand.

Your left hand is the wet hand

while your right hand is the dry hand.

OK.

Dip the chicken into the egg wash

using your left hand.

Oh, I see.

When you're done, transfer the chicken

into your bowl of breadcrumbs.

Then, using your dry hand

coat the chicken with breadcrumbs.

I've never thought to do it this way.

Me neither.

Then rest the chicken here.

OK.

Repeat those steps
with each piece of chicken.

Dry hand.

- I just wanna see.
- What?

- You wanna help?
- Gently...

Chef, have you been to Germany?

I've never been there

but I had the chance to try

some well-known German dishes

like their sausages and pork knuckle.

To be honest, I really like

their sausage with curry and potatoes.

It's really good.

Is this considered German food?

Yes, it is.

I feel like I'm good at this.
I can do this.

Are you sure?

- Good.
- Clear.

Mark, please keep the breaded chicken

in the fridge for now.

We're going to start making

the khao soi paste.

OK, we'll start
with the dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients first.

Actually, we should always

jot down our recipe.

Otherwise, every time we cook

the food will be delicious
in a different way

because the recipe changes.

"The food will be delicious
in a different way"

"because the recipe changes."

Khao soi is now considered

a globally recognised dish.

It was recently voted

the best soup in the world.

Khao soi ranked number one in the world

but today, we'll be doing

khao soi with a twist.

Let's start by pounding the spices.

Some coriander seeds.

- Help us to remember this, Dan.
- OK.

Equal amount of cumin.

Cumin

Ground them like this.

Cumin

Wait.

It smells like Indian food,
don't you think?

Put it in a bowl and set it aside.

Next, we're going to prepare

the wet ingredients.

We'll need to mince them.

Start with three cloves of garlic

and three shallots.

Three shallots

After this, you can boast that

you made curry paste yourself.

Yeah, I'm definitely
telling everyone about this.

Two stalks of coriander roots

and turmeric.

Turmeric

Oh no!

- Great.
- Delicious!

What happened?

It fell into the bowl of chillies, Chef.

Oh, that's OK.

Next, fingerroot and galangal.

We have to chop
the galangal into small pieces

because it's very hard.

Next, lemongrass.

And lastly, kaffir lime zest.

First, pare the kaffir lime this way.

Kaffir lime zest

You go, Jen.

You will get something like this.

There is a white layer beneath the zest

that we need to remove

because it's very bitter.

Be careful.

Let me do it.

- Dan.
- Dan.

Really, Dan?

Is this OK?

Oh, excellent.

Next, mince the zest.

OK, mincing it.

- Dan, do you cook much?
- No.

He has cooked before.

No.

Are you ready to start pounding?

Yes, let's do it.

Let's start with the galangal.

I still can't tell
the difference between

galangal, ginger and lemongrass.

Ginger and galangal are the same.

Are ginger and galangal the same?

- They're similar.
- No, they're not the same.

Add a pinch of salt.

To make it easier
to crush the ingredients.

Let's start.

OK, now we add fingerroot, turmeric

and kaffir lime zest.

Kaffir lime!

This is going to smell heavenly.

You know what? I actually can cook.

Chef Black, are you from Chiang Mai?

I wasn't born in Chiang Mai

but I've been living here
since I was two.

Do you speak the Northern dialect?

(Northern Thai dialect) Yes.

Next, we add lemongrass

and coriander root.

You should get something
that looks like this.

- OK.
- We're going to add chilli next.

I'm going to try one.

Hey babe, it's spicy!

It's dried chilli
so it isn't that spicy.

This is red spur chilli.

It's not that spicy.

Really?

His face is turning red.

OK.

Smells so good.
I can smell it from here.

- You can smell it from there?
- Yeah.

After adding the chillies

we're going to add shallots and garlic.

What if we use a blender instead?

I knew it!

OK, nope. We want it to be

- original and authentic.
- Original!

That's right!

Actually, it will be easier
with a blender...

Never mind, this works too.

Last but not least, the shrimp paste.

The smell!

Shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste

Just add a dollop.

Oh, my nails are all stained yellow!

Oh, is it on my face too?

Scoop out the paste you've pounded.

OMG!

Let's put this aside

and we'll continue with the schnitzel.

We're going to fry the chicken first.

Schnitzel!

Use a pan about this size.

- Here.
- We'll need oil for frying.

Oil.

Let's use rice bran oil.

When you're ready

take the chicken out from the fridge.

I'm not sure if you have a thermometer.

Yes, we do.

OK, let's use that.

Mine's shaped like a gun.

Isn't that for measuring
body temperature?

It's similar.

This one is actually for food

not for people.

- Oh, really?
- Yes.

Now, pour some oil into the pan.

Enough so that your chicken

will be half submerged.

So about 1.0cm to 1.5cm.

Turn on the stove.

Heat the oil to abou
t 160 to 170°C for frying.

See?

Mine is already at 160°C.

It's getting there... 160°C.

Let's begin.

Start with two pieces.

OK.

Wow!

Beautiful.

Oh, the oil isn't splattering at all.

That's because the chicken is quite dry.

If we fry chicken that's wet

the oil will splatter everywhere.

Check if yours is turning golden brown.

Mine is almost done.

Yeah, golden brown.

Turn it over and see.

Turn it over. You can do it.

Wow, perfect!

It needs to be this colour.

Why are you smacking your lips?

It smells really nice.

Chef, it has turned golden brown.

OK, rest it on the cooling rack.

- Babe!
- Looks delicious.

Looks good!

A pretty shade of golden brown.

It looks like it's ready to be eaten

but it's still raw on the inside.

Medium rare. It's not edible.

OK, next piece.

Both pieces are huge.

Hey, this looks so good.

The real thing. This is the real thing.

Yeah.

OK, done.

We'll set them aside

and now, we're going to prepare

the khao soi.

Get the paste you pounded ready.

We'll add one tablespoon of oil.

One tablespoon of oil

Babe, you don't have to use a spoon.

Just pour it.
You don't have to measure it out.

No, Chef Black said one tablespoon.

- One tablespoon.
- Just eyeball it.

No, babe. You can't just eyeball it.

Let's do what Chef Black said

otherwise we'll mess this up.

We'll say this is your own recipe.

OK, two tablespoons of the curry paste.

Two tablespoons.

OK now, turn the stove to low heat.

Low heat.

Now, sauté the paste.

After you're done

get your mix of dry ingredients.

Add a pinch to your pot.

This smells so good.

Hinlay powder.

- Babe.
- No.

Hinlay powder

See? Your spoon is too big.

Whatever.

Keep sautéing.

Add some cream.

Cream

Wonderful. Keep sautéing.

- Smells good!
- It's so fragrant.

Oh my god... oh my god!

- Smelling great, isn't it?
- Yes, it is!

Add more cream.

You can add all of it.

Cream

Since we are using

two tablespoons of curry paste.

- OK.
- Be careful.

We'll have to start over if this burns.

Oh no!

Starting over means

you'll need to make more curry paste.

Make more curry paste.

Babe!

Stir gently.

Now, the cream is getting quite thick.

We don't want it to be so thick

so we're adding half a bottle of water.

OK.

Good.

Next, the black cardamom.

What is this?

These are black cardamom pods.

Black cardamom adds to the aroma

and gives our
khao soi more body and depth.

Black cardamom.

Mark, try the khao soi
and see how it tastes.

It should still be quite bland.

It's bland, but creamy and aromatic.

For its seasoning

we're going to get the saltiness

from salt and fish sauce

and the sweetness

from palm sugar and white sugar.

I told you, babe.

Fish sauce is great for cooking.

But only for certain dishes.
Not everything.

Fish sauce will elevate the flavours.

We were making Bolognese the other day

and Mark wanted to add fish sauce.

Can we actually put fish sauce
in Bolognese?

It's to enhance the aroma and flavour.

Of course, you can!

Can we really add fish sauce to it?

It's called garum in Italy.

Really?

It's a fish sauce made from anchovies.

Thank you, Chef! Thank you!

Was it bitter
when you tasted it earlier?

No, it wasn't.

Let's turn off the heat

and add some sweetness to it

by slowly adding in palm sugar.

Followed by salt.

Salt

Give it a taste.

- Is it sweet yet?
- Yes, it's getting there.

Add a bit more white sugar.

Then, fish sauce.

Chef, you're not measuring it out?

No, we'll just keep tasting it
as we go along.

Eyeball it, babe.

OK.

It's getting more aromatic. Right?

OK, taste it.

Is it delicious yet?

I think it could use
with a bit more salt.

That's enough... enough!

You're gonna wreck my liver!

Babe, that's enough!

Can I taste it?

You'll get to taste it when it's done.

We're done here. Let's go and make

some sauerkraut.

I tried making it once, Chef.

Sauerkraut?

But I failed. It tasted pretty bad.

Did you cook the cabbage through?

You mean it has to be well-cooked?

That's why you failed.

I'm going to open
a restaurant after this.

Hold your horses.

Let's see if we can do this first.

Chef is shaking his head.

Cook for yourself first.

Don't start a restaurant yet.

We'll need to cut the cabbage
into thin shreds.

Cut it in half first.

Cabbage

Slice it into shreds next.

Thinly, please.

When you slice, push your knife forward.

Slice it carefully.

- Oh, yeah...
- Look at my big brother.

Excellent.

A bit of galangal.

A little bit.

Mince it the way you minced
the garlic earlier.

You look like a pro!

All right, add one tablespoon of oil.

Turn the stove on medium heat.

Add the minced galangal

shredded cabbage and stir-fry them.

Add a pinch of salt.

The salt will draw water out

from your cabbage.

A few coriander seeds.

A bay leaf.

Bay leaf

Next

two tablespoons of pickled garlic juice.

You can put in as much garlic
as you want.

Two teaspoons of pickled garlic juice

Half a bottle of vinegar.

OK, Chef.

We'll add just a bit of sugar.

Your cabbage will absorb that sweetness.

If the taste is all right

you can turn off the stove.

OK, done.

We'll cook the sausages now.

Turn on the stove.

Use just a bit of oil.

Coat your pan with oil

and start pan-frying the sausages.

While Mark is pan-frying the sausages

Kim can get the zucchini

and the spiraliser ready.

We're going to make
zucchini noodles, right?

Yes.

Zucchini

Cut the zucchini in half.

OK, good. Now, look here.

Cut zucchini in half

That's right. OK, good.

Now, push it in.

Push it in.

Then start turning the handle.

- How do I do it?
- The other side.

- It's coming out!
- It's coming out!

Keep turning...

You need to hold it tight.

Let me try.

- Dan wants to do it.
- No!

See? You're getting zucchini noodles.

How do we know

when the sausages are cooked, Chef?

The sausages came fully cooked.

We're just pan-frying them

to give them a nice colour

and to enhance their aroma.

Next, we're going to
stir-fry the noodles

in khao soi sauce.

Get a pan ready.

We'll need one ladle of sauce

per serving of noodles.

One ladle of sauce per serving

- One ladle per serving.
- One.

Two.

I'm scraping the bottom.

- It's all gone.
- Yeah, all gone.

Our sous-chef is keeping
the stove clean.

- Good job.
- See?

Don't forget that the head chef

has to do the dishes later.

Yes...

Once the sauce starts to boil

put the zucchini in.

The colour of the zucchini will change.

It'll become a vibrant shade of green.

Now, taste the sauce
again with the zucchini.

Do you want it saltier,
sweeter or something?

Not too much salt.

Mark, put the schnitzel
into the oven now.

Set the timer for about five minutes.

Looks good.

Let's prepare the plates

for our khao soi sauce zucchini

and Northern Thai chicken schnitzel.

Can we use this? Is it OK?

Yes, that's good for the zucchini dish.

Do you have enough plates for everyone?

Or you can put it
on one big plate and share.

We have some small plates.

We can use these plates instead.

We can use the small plates.

Why?

Because there's curry.

Chill, guys...

Here, a plate for everyone.

Yes... but...

Babe, just go and set the table.

OK.

No, we should portion it out first.

No, we can just serve it
on this big plate

and everyone can just help themselves.

Yes, OK...

but you have to put it
on this plate first.

Yes, I will.

Meanwhile, you can hand out the plates.

Stop arguing, guys.

- No...
- What?

We have to portion out the food

and serve it to everyone.

Now, now. Tell me what the problem is.

We have to portion out the food

and serve it to everyone.

OK.

Oh, you want them to get it themselves?

OK, I get what you mean.

Put the zucchini on the plate.

Wow.

Careful, don't get it on your shirt.

I think there's cheese
in the fridge, right?

We're going to use Parmigiano cheese.

Grate it over your zucchini.

Parmigiano cheese

Add some black pepper.

Now, you get to eat.

Chef's table.

It's been five minutes
for the chicken, right?

Yes, that's right.

- It looks really good.
- Looks good!

All over the place.

Hey! Not on this plate.

I can hear the crunch.

Wow, the chicken looks great.

I can smell it from here.

- I'm tucking in!
- I'm nervous.

What... what are we gonna try first?

Oh, it's like noodles, man.

This is not taste-testing.
We're just eating.

Incredibly good!

I think it goes really
well with khao soi.

Let's rate these dishes.

- Five out of five.
- You tell me.

Five out of five.

- Really?
- Can I give more than five?

Because this is so juicy on the inside.

More than five.

OK, Chef. Thank you so much

for spending time to teach us today.

Thank you too.

Before you go...

- there's just one more thing.
- Yes.

MarkKim + Chef will donate

30,000 Thai baht
to any charity organisation

of your choice, Chef Black.

So which organisation will it be?

I'd like to donate the money

to the Pimali Foundation

which is dedicated
to offering opportunities

to underprivileged children.

The foundation sponsors kids

who want to go to hospitality

or culinary schools.

It also helps them to find jobs
after graduation.

I hope this money will provide

more opportunities

for the socially disadvantaged children

in the foundation.

- Wow, thank you. That's great!
- Thank you.

Thank you too.

When I have time

I'll go visit you in Chiang Mai.

- Please come.
- OK.

The new restaurant is waiting for you!

- We'll be there for sure.
- OK, bye!

- Bye!
- Thank you!

Thank you so much!

- This is divine.
- Yes, it's divine.

- This is pickled garlic.
- Pickled garlic?

Do you have a happy dance?

You don't have a happy dance?

You don't have a happy dance?

What's my happy dance?

That's your car dance.