Thai Basil

gg2

I tried basil chicken in a Thai restaurant today and it was hands down the nicest thing I've tasted in ages! So I want to try and make it myself:)Anyone know where I can get Thai basil or how I can substitute it in this recipe? Would dry basil/ basil leaves suffice?

refusetolose

just done a quick google and apparently thai basil is more like mint

MissFlitworth

If you have an Asian food market near you with a large fresh veg section they often have Thai basil. In Dublin Fallon & Byrne have it, or they did the last time I was rooting around in their herbs & I thiiiink I've seen it in Evergreen on Camden Street, so if you have a 'fancy' grocers near you it could be worth a look

dibkins

I found it in F&B...once, and never again:( It is so very delicious.

Mrs Fox

dibkins wrote: »

I found it in F&B...once, and never again:( It is so very delicious.

Walk 100 yards up the road to Asia Market, perhaps? Cheaper too.

dibkins

Where is that? I only visit dublin and pop into F&B before getting on my bus. Never seen it in the asian supermarkets in Limerick or Cork.

Mrs Fox

dibkins wrote: »

Where is that? I only visit dublin and pop into F&B before getting on my bus. Never seen it in the asian supermarkets in Limerick or Cork.

It's on Drury St, the street directly across F&B's facade.

gg2

I won't be back in dublin for a couple of weeks and I NEED this dish again Can I substitute with anything else? Going to try local Asian market but I've never seen fresh herbs there before - does it come dried?

BaZmO*

gg2 wrote: »

I won't be back in dublin for a couple of weeks and I NEED this dish again Can I substitute with anything else? Going to try local Asian market but I've never seen fresh herbs there before - does it come dried?

Yeah you can get it dried. I've gotten it before in Asian shops when I couldn't get it fresh. I soaked it in a bowl of water before adding it to the dish. Nowhere near as good as fresh but it does add a bit of that Thai Basil flavour to the dish.

the beer revolu

I wonder if a mix of regular basil and mint would be a reasonable substitute??

Mrs Fox

the beer revolu wrote: »

I wonder if a mix of regular basil and mint would be a reasonable substitute??

This. Exactly this.

AndersLimpar

the beer revolu wrote: »

I wonder if a mix of regular basil and mint would be a reasonable substitute??

I was just going to say the same thing!!
Doesnt regular basil have a very very slight mint pungent anyway??

dibkins

I don't think they replicate the flavour of thai basil very well (thought they are usually put forward as substitues). I think more that they bring a nice fresh herbal taste to the dish. if it were me, i'd add some star anise and use coriander and mabye mint, but then you aren't really in thai territory anymore!

AndersLimpar

Star Anise and Mint would be a good substitute - liquoricey mint!!!

foodaholic

Could you grow it indoors ?

gg2

dibkins wrote: »

I don't think they replicate the flavour of thai basil very well (thought they are usually put forward as substitues). I think more that they bring a nice fresh herbal taste to the dish. if it were me, i'd add some star anise and use coriander and mabye mint, but then you aren't really in thai territory anymore!

Feck it may as well invent my own dish now :D

B0jangles

Aldi in Bray sometimes get it in with their stock of standard basil in pots, though I haven't seen any so far this year. It's easy to spot once you get familiar with how thai basil leaves look:



See how they are much flatter and smaller than normal italian basil.

I ended up with two huge pots of it last year and ended up having to give away bagsful of leaves because I couldn't keep up with them! I found it is a lot easier to keep growing and healthy than normal basil.

Also, if you do get some in a bag, I have heard that it is pretty easy to grow from a clipping.

Rakish Paddy

gg2, I'm not sure what part of the world you're in, but if you're on the north side of Dublin it might be worth a trip up Moore St. If you're heading from Henry St. up towards Parnell St. there's a shop on the left that sells all manner of East / South East Asian stuff and always has loads of vegetation on display - I wouldn't be surprised if you managed to find Thai basil there.

nok2008

I buy thai basil seeds from seedaholic.com. grows relatively easy and just pluck away when needed.