Culinary Vietnam (22 page)

1
Coat the fish fillets with the lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and spread the dill leaves over the entire surface, pressing a bit to keep them in place. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

2
Remove the fish from the refrigerator and preheat a grill.

3
In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and sauté the ginger, shallot, chiles, and lemongrass for 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce and sugar followed by the wine and vinegar. Boil for 1 minute; add the scallions and the broth/cornstarch mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Remove the ginger slices.

4
Mix together the sesame oil and remaining vegetable oil, and brush it over all surfaces of the fish. Grill on medium-high heat about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Turn over and cook just until done. Place on a serving platter, pour the sauce over top, and garnish with ginger.

Squid, Lemongrass, and Chile Stir-Fry with Coconut Milk

Muc Xao Xa Nuoc Cot Dua

1 pound whole squid, cleaned

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 good-size lemongrass stalks, thick bottom part only, finely minced (about 3 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons Vietnamese yellow curry powder or Madras curry powder

1 to 2 red or green serrano or Thai chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 teaspoons minced shallot

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 green or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish or 4 to 6 as part of a larger meal

Almost a curry but cooked for a shorter period of time, this spicy dish is often prepared using eel. I have also seen it made using some chunks of fresh pineapple to add sweetness as a foil for the chile heat. Serve it with rice and a salad or steamed vegetables.

1
Season the squid with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Sear the squid briefly in the hot oil; remove and reserve.

2
Add the lemongrass, curry powder, chiles, shallot, garlic, sugar, bell pepper, and onion to the hot oil, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce and coconut milk, bring to a boil, reduce to a low boil, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.

3
Slice the squid into 1/4-inch rings and add to the wok. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more while stirring. When heated through, garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Battered Prawns Wrapped in Lettuce with Herbs

Tom Chien Bot Mi Trung

2 eggs, well beaten

1-1/2 cups cold water

1-1/2 cups rice flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

16 to 18 large prawns or shrimp (about 1-1/2 pounds)

2 cups vegetable oil

16 to 18 lettuce leaves (butter, red leaf, or romaine)

1-1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 medium cucumber, sliced

Fresh herbs (Asian basil, cilantro, fish mint, mint, red perilla, Vietnamese coriander, etc.)

Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

,

Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce

,

Salt, Pepper, and Lime Dipping Sauce

,

Sweet Chile Sauce

, or others as desired

Serves 3 to 4 as a main dish or 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Perfectly crispy, not greasy, battered prawns along with the crunch of vegetables and the aroma of herbs, highlighted by salty and spicy dipping sauces—these wraps will send you into near ecstasy. Hot oil is the secret to non-greasy fried food. Extensive testing has proven that ice-cold beer is the perfect accompaniment to these prawns.

1
Mix together the eggs, water, 1 cup flour, salt, and pepper to make a smooth batter. Add more water as needed to create a light pancake-batter consistency.

2
Soak the prawns in very cold salted water for 2 to 3 minutes and drain well.

3
Heat the oil in a wok until just a few wisps of smoke rise from the surface (about 365 degrees). First dredge each prawn in the remaining flour, dip in the batter, and gently lay in the hot oil. Cook, a few at a time, turning occasionally until the batter is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain, and place on paper towels.

4
Serve on a platter with the lettuce, vegetables, and herbs with bowls of dipping sauces. Provide a plate for each diner to make his or her own wrap.

Soft-Shelled Crab with Chiles and Lemongrass

Cua Ot Xa

1-1/2 cups rice flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1-3/4 to 2 pounds live (or frozen and thawed) soft-shell crabs

2 eggs, well beaten

1/3 cup finely minced lemongrass

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 to 2 red serrano or Thai chiles, minced, or 2 teaspoons crushed red chile paste, or 1/2 teaspoon dry red chile flakes

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup fish stock, chicken stock, or water

2 scallions, sliced into thin rings

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or as part of a larger meal

I learned this method from my new chef friend Khai on my first trip to Vietnam. We used the crabs in a salad of mangosteen fruit that was a delicious pairing of the rich and spicy hot flavors of the crab against the creamy, sweet, and sour flavors of that fruit. These crabs could be used as an appetizer just as they are, as part of a salad as Khai and I did, or as a main course dish as part of a larger meal. Precooked hard-shell crab of any size could be substituted for the soft-shell ones. Simply skip the first step of cooking the crab, crack the shells slightly to allow the flavors to penetrate, and then heat the crab with the sauce after it has been fried.

1
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper; set aside.

2
Heat the oil in a wok. Toss the crabs in the eggs, then dredge in the flour mixture and place in the oil a few at a time. Cook until golden brown and then drain on paper towels. When all of the crabs have been browned, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.

3
To the hot oil add the lemongrass, garlic, and shallot; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chiles and sugar, stir for a moment, and then add the fish sauce and stock.

4
Boil the sauce for a few seconds, add the scallions, and then return the crabs to the wok. Toss crabs in the sauce until well coated and warmed through. Place on a serving plate and garnish with cilantro.

Rice & Banh Dishes

Rice is the lifeblood of Vietnamese eating. It’s seen at almost every meal, and without it, food is considered merely a snack—rice makes it a meal and rice alone still constitutes eating a meal. It has a number of varieties in both the long-grain and short-grain versions, and the quality levels, although subtle in many cases, are carefully noticed by discerning Vietnamese cooks. Rice is also made into noodles, cakes, and papers for wrapping food.

Fragrant Steamed Jasmine Rice

Com

3-1/4 cups water

2 cups jasmine rice

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

An essential part of the Vietnamese diet, rice is revered and cooked with care. A typical question from a Vietnamese is “have you had rice?” meaning have you eaten? There are many grades, sizes, and qualities of rice—use the best you can find. Rinsing the rice prevents starchiness and makes it more fragrant. Rice may be cooked in a rice cooker or a lidded pot. Vietnamese cooks do not add salt to the rice while it is cooking. This recipe is for a lidded pot; follow the directions on your rice cooker if you use that method.