Mark H
@Chef Mark Hardin
Your sitting at a restaurant in Karon beach, a beautiful location in Phuket, Thailand. The salty air from the Andaman sea fills your nostrils and lungs. The sun is at its peak in the sky and light touches everything. Then the smell of something spicy yet sweet makes it's way through the salt air across your senses. Now the smell of prawns with a hint of lemongrass is present. The aromatic smell sits right under your nose now. Yes, your lunch has arrived. Â Tom Yum Goong. Essentially this traditional Thai dish is a sweet and sour soup with Prawns. As you eat this soup you notice how the flavors work together. Lemongrass, galangal (ginger), lime leaves, mushrooms, thai peppers and cilantro are the key ingredients in this classic Thai soup. Â Then you start to imagine what it would be like if you used monk fish or lobster instead of prawns. Maybe adding some fiddleheads or Fennel to balance the heat. You start to take a thai dish and transform it using local, sustainable ingredients from where you live in New England. Â This is my cooking style. Fusion cooking. Taking the flavors from around the world and intertwining them into New England cooking.