Leah Cohen is the chef-owner of Pig &amp; Khao in New York City. A Top Chef alum, a cookbook author, and the recipient of a 2013 StarChefs Rising Stars Award, Leah’s main cooking philosophy is to stay true to authentic Southeast Asian flavors while incorporating classical western techniques.

Leah Cohen

Nam prik num, a roasted green chile condiment, is in a class of Thai relishes that have a consistency somewhere between a paste and a sauce. It’s the ultimate flavor booster for grilled meats and raw vegetables, and it’s a great stress reliever, since making it requires smashing stuff into teeny-tiny pieces with a heavy stone. Win-win!Nam prik relishes, like curry pastes, are traditionally prepared using a granite mortar and pestle. The preparation method accounts for their unique texture and the volume of flavor, which is best described as loud. A mortar and pestle can quickly pulverize small quantities of ingredients, releasing lots of flavorful and aromatic compounds without turning everything into a purée. Aggressively flavorful ingredients like fermented shrimp paste and fiery chiles guarantee the paste has personality, especially since the aromatics get charred on a charcoal grill (which softens them up, making them easier to pound into a paste) before being smashed. Fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice round it out with salty, sweet, and acidic notes. It’s equally delicious when served alongside a spread of <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sai-oua-northern-thai-herbal-sausage">Sai Ua</a> (Northern Thai sausages), raw vegetables, and pork rinds, as it is when <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/northern-thai-herbal-sausage-breakfast-sandwich">stirred into mayo for a sandwich spread with some punch</a>. Once you get the hang of pounding things to a paste in your mortar and pestle, nam prik num is the ultimate effort-to-reward ratio pantry secret weapon.

Nam Prik Num (Thai Roasted Green Chile Relish)