NB - Tamarind help?

bigmikej

I want to make NB's chicken thighs but was unable to find concentrated tamarind. I did get tamarind nectar (in a 12oz soda can), and a block of tamarind that just looks like dried tamarind pods smashed together in a block. Will either of these work?[p]Thanks!

Nature Boy

bigmikej,
The block will work better than the nectar. The block is the real stuff. Yum.
Have fun!
Chris

irishrog

bigmikej, when I use the block Tamarind I break off as much as I need and soak it in boiling water for 10 minutes. I then push the pulp through a metal seive and this takes out any stones and impurities in the Tamarind. The flavour is hard to identify in a dish, but if you try the dish without it, the taste is less rounded and missing something. enjoy.

Nature Boy

irishrog,
Good suggestions on peparing the tamarind. I agree with you on the roundness tamarind provides. I think of it as a warm coating magical tartness! Not really anything like it. You'll find it on the ingredient list for Sweet Baby Rays sauce.[p]Cold friday pints toya mate!
Chris

BluesnBBQ

I know this doesn't help, but when I was in Phuket, Thailand a few months ago there were places where you could literally pick tamarind pods off a tree and eat them. (you don't actually eat the pods, but the sweet/tangy stuff covering the seed is inside them)

egghead2004

BluesnBBQ,
The same thing in Puerto Rico, my brother in law has one of those trees in his backyard...along with 20 other fruit bearing trees.