Culinary Vietnam (7 page)

1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 ounce pork fatback or bacon, chopped

1/2 ounce dry tree ear mushrooms, rehydrated in very hot water, stems removed, and chopped

4 ounces peeled small shrimp

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 egg, separated

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 limes, juiced

Serves 2 to 3

Madam Huy is an amazing woman who I met in Hue city. She is a chef whose expertise lies in Imperial Cuisine, and on our first meeting, we spent hours just talking food, bouncing around from halting English to French to rapid-fire Vietnamese translated by a friend. Although there was a definite language barrier, we seemed to understand each other when it came to cooking and our feelings about good food. Huy sent this recipe to me; it is one that she featured at a special Vietnamese menu she prepared at the Hanoi Opera Hilton last year.

1
Rinse the clams, then open them and remove the meat. Scrape out the shells, wash, and reserve. Place the water, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add the clams, mix well, and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Remove the ginger and pat the clams dry with a towel.

2
In a mortar, pound the shallot, sugar, and clams to make a paste. Add the pork fat, mushrooms, and shrimp, and continue pounding until smooth. Mix in the fish sauce and egg white well. (You may also do this by pulsing in a food processor.)
3
Oil the inside of the cleaned clamshells and place 1-1/2 teaspoons of the clam mixture in each one. Steam in a steamer for 5 minutes, remove the cover, and brush the top of each filling with some beaten egg yolk. Return to the steamer, cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the mixture has set and is cooked through. Mix together the remaining salt, pepper, and lime juice, and pour some over each stuffed clam. Serve immediately.

Grilled Beef and Shrimp Hand Rolls

Bo Nuong Tom Cuon

1 pound beef chuck, sirloin, or top round, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick sheets (or less*)

Marinade for Grilled Meats

18 to 20 rice paper rounds (8 to 9 inches in diameter)

18 to 20 lettuce leaves (butter, red, or green leaf lettuce)

1/2 pound small-to-medium cooked shrimp

1/2 pound jicama

1 to 2 scallions, cut into 1-1/2-inch sections, then finely cut lengthwise into thin slices

2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly julienned

1 medium sweet red bell pepper, thinly julienned (optional)

Enough 2-inch-long cilantro sprigs to place 1 or 2 in each roll

Basil, mint, red perilla, or other Vietnamese herbs, as available or as desired

Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

or

Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce

Sweet Chile Sauce

(optional)

Makes 18 to 20 rolls

These hand rolls are one of my takes on the many salad rolls made with uncooked rice paper that you will find served as snacks, appetizers, and light meals by street vendors, in restaurants, and in homes, particularly in the southern part of Vietnam. This recipe draws its inspiration from a Saigon street version that stir-fries ground beef, jicama, dried shrimp, eggs, and sometimes sausages. This one uses grilled sliced beef, which adds an interesting texture and a subtle smoky flavor. I leave the jicama raw rather than sautéing it so that it remains very crunchy. Many different combinations of fillings may be used for fresh hand rolls. The rolls may be made before serving, or the components may be placed on the table for guests to make their own.

1
Marinate the beef slices in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. Grill beef and slice into 1/4-inch strips.

2
Dip a rice paper in a bowl of warm water for a few seconds, blot it dry on a towel, and place it on a plate or other work surface. Place a lettuce leaf in the lower center of the rice paper. Top with some of the sliced beef, shrimp, jicama, scallions, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, and other herbs. Fold the bottom flap of the paper over the filling, then fold each side flap to meet in the center, slightly overlapping. Roll the wrap away from you to form a sealed roll. Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauces.

*
You may also place thicker slices between two sheets of plastic wrap and carefully pound it to the desired thickness with a kitchen mallet.

Crispy Rolls with Salad Wrap

Cha Gio or Nem Ran

1 egg

2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

1-1/2 ounces cellophane noodles (bean thread, usually 1 bundle), soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes until soft and pliable, drained, and cut into 1-inch pieces 5 to 6 dried wood-ear or shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in very hot water and minced

1/4 cup minced scallions

1/2 cup finely minced white onion

1/2 cup grated taro root or jicama (squeeze out the excess water if using jicama)

1/4 cup finely shredded carrots

1/2 pound ground pork

4 ounces cooked shrimp, chopped

4 ounces cooked crabmeat

2 quarts warm water

24 or more rice paper rounds (8 to 10 inches in diameter)

Vegetable oil

24 lettuce leaves

Mixed herbs

1-1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 cup grated carrots (optional)

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Sweet Chile Sauce

Makes about 2 dozen rolls

It was tempting to give in and employ the not-so-correct but commonly used term “spring rolls” for this dish; however, I resisted since they are known in Vietnam as Nem Ran in the north and Cha Gio in the south, and spring roll is actually a Chinese dish using wheat-flour wrappers. Whatever moniker you use for them, these scrumptious appetizers are certainly all the rage, both in Vietnam as well as in the U.S. and Europe. For many westerners, it is the defining recipe of Vietnamese cuisine, although in Vietnam it is not considered quite that important. This recipe calls for pork, shrimp, and crab, but you could easily prepare these using only one or two of the three meats.

1
Beat the egg, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, garlic, and pepper together until smooth. Stir in the noodles, mushrooms, scallions, onion, taro root, carrots, pork, shrimp, and crabmeat; mix well.

2
Mix the warm water with the remaining sugar in a wide bowl. Lay a smooth towel on the counter, dip a rice paper in the water for a few seconds, drain well, and then lay on the towel. Repeat with another rice paper so that you can roll 2 in succession.

3
Place 2 generous tablespoons of the filling in the center of the bottom third of the rice paper and roughly shape into a cylinder. Fold the bottom edge of the paper to cover the filling. Carefully fold one side edge to overlap the first fold. Repeat with the other side. Gently roll away from you to make a cylinder, making sure not to trap any air inside the roll. Place seam side down on an oiled tray and repeat until all of the filling is used.

4
Put enough oil into a deep skillet or large saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat to 350 to 365 degrees. Fry the rolls a few at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels, cut if they are large, and serve immediately with lettuce, herbs, and remaining vegetables to wrap them in and dipping sauces.

Tea

Tra

2 cups water plus 1/4 to 1/3 cup to warm the pot

2 to 3 tablespoons (1/2-to 3/4-ounce) loose green or black tea, jasmine, or other varieties

Makes 1 pot, enough for 4 to 6 cups

Tea or tra (pronounced cha) is probably the most important beverage in Vietnam. In outlying rural regions with questionable water supplies, boiling water to make tea helps to ensure that it is free of bacteria and parasites. Green tea is the most commonly consumed, while black tea is also regularly enjoyed. In the southern regions of the country, the tea is usually a green jasmine variety that is naturally slightly sweet; in the north, the preference runs towards a slightly bitter, more astringent selection. Some prefer it straight and others take sugar. Tea is consumed before, during, and after meals, and can be readily purchased from street vendors. Many Vietnamese coffeehouses routinely serve complementary tea along with a cup of coffee, as it is considered a palate cleanser.