Starters

First-course recipes: light plates that set the tone for what follows.

11 recipes

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

I’m a big fan of Thai chicken satay with peanut sauce. Although it isn’t necessary, it is best to marinate the chicken for at least a day. You could get away with 30 minutes but a longer marinating time will get you much tastier results. As the chicken soaks up that incredible marinade, it not only tenderizes it but makes it much juicier when cooked. This recipe could be used with thinly sliced pork or beef, both are also popular at Thai restaurants and takeaways. Pork is the meat of choice in Thailand but chicken is the most popular in the UK. I also like to serve this dish with cucumber and chilli relish.

35 minutes Serves6

Fiery Vegetables in Coconut Milk

A vibrant Thai curry celebrating fresh vegetables in a spiced coconut broth. Eight chillies may seem intense, but the creamy coconut milk tempers the heat into a balanced, complex warmth. The vegetables remain crisp-tender, and the holy basil adds an authentic finishing touch. Fragrant, colorful, and deeply satisfying.

10 minutes Serves4-6

Firecracker Prawns

Prawns (shrimp) curl naturally into half-circles. To get your firecracker prawns looking right you need to do some cosmetic work but it’s an easy job: the underside of the prawns needs to be scored in three places so that you can straighten them up. I have seen this popular starter prepared with many different marinades but as the name implies, it’s the chilli that is important. In this recipe I suggest using both chilli paste and roasted chilli flakes. How much of each you add, however, is completely down to you and how spicy you like your food. I recommend serving these with sweet chilli sauce.

30 minutes Serves20

Garlicky Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs

These ribs are comfort food at its best and a moreish way to start a delicious Thai meal. I like to serve them with nam jim jaew or sweet chilli sauce.

30 minutes Serves2-4

Pork and Vegetable Spring Rolls

Made popular by Chinese restaurants and takeaways, these are another menu item that have been adapted to have a subtle Thai flavour. You need to plan ahead as the filling must be cold (or room temperature) before rolling your spring rolls. To make these vegetarian, simply leave out the meat.

50 minutes Serves30

Pork Meatballs

These meatballs are packed with delicious flavours. I like to serve them with a couple of dips like sweet chilli sauce and chilli jam. Before cooking them, I recommend frying up a bit of the prepared meat and adjusting the flavour to taste.

20 minutes Serves20

Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari

My first job out of college was working as the manager of a shoe store in Marina, near Monterey, California. I hated every second of that job but loved living in Monterey and all the amazing locally caught seafood. Squid was and still is a speciality there, and it was during my time of selling cheap shoes that I learned this method of frying calamari to perfection. I’ve tried a few other recipes but, in my opinion, this one ticks all the boxes. The crispy fried squid is delicious served with the sweet chilli sauce dip.

13 minutes Serves4

Sweet and Crispy Chicken Wings

These sweet and savoury chicken wings are a Thai restaurant and takeaway favourite. I use palm sugar when I make this recipe, but you could just use equal amounts of white granulated sugar or honey if you like. The palm sugar is more authentic and also gives a deeper colour to the dish. Although the crispy fried garlic garnish is optional, I would encourage you to take some time to make it for this recipe. I love fried garlic and it really takes this recipe up a notch or two in my opinion.

25 minutes Serves12

Tempura Garlic Prawns

Here is another Thai starter you might think belongs in a Japanese cookbook. However, once you try these crisp prawns (shrimp) dipped into Thai seafood dipping sauce or sweet chilli sauce, you’ll find them to be 100% Thai. As in the photograph, you can fry veggies in the same way to make a tempura feast!

30 minutes Serves20

Thai Prawn Toast

These aren’t like those you find at most takeaways: thinly layered with a bit of prawn (shrimp). No way! These are slightly larger than bite-size prawn mountains. They are amazing served with the sweet chilli sauce.

20 minutes Serves6

Thai-Style Chilli Garlic Edamame

I’m always happy when I go out for a Thai meal and I see edamame on the menu as a starter. It might be a very simple dish to make but it’s so addictive. I just can’t get enough and the great thing is you can make it at home with equally delicious results. You will find bags of frozen edamame in pods at most Asian grocers and they are also found in the freezer section of many supermarkets. The pods aren’t eaten but it is important to buy the edamame in the pod so you can pick them up and scrape the beans and all that amazing flavour stuck to the pod straight into your mouth.

15 minutes Serves4