Vietnam

Vietnamese Cooking

Cha Gio

Cha Gio
Serving Size: 1
Categories: Vietnamese Appetizers
Ceideburg 2
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 lb tree ear mushrooms
1 cup Soaked -- roughly chopped thread noodles
1 lb Ground pork
1/2 lb Chopped shrimp or crabmeat
1 Tb fish sauce
1 teaspoon Each salt & pepper(white)
2 Garlic cloves -- chopped
1/4 cup Each chopped red onion & -- chives
8 Rounds Rice paper
Beer
Mint -- basil & coriander
Lettuce leaves
Cucumber slices
-----DIPPING SAUCE-----
1/4 cup Minced garlic
1/2 cup Fish sauce
1/3 cup Lime juice
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Sa-te oil

Soak tree ears, set aside bean thread noodles. Chop pork to a finer consistency, put it in a bowl and add shrimp or crab, fish sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, onions and chives.

Drain and dry the tree ears and add them. Add the bean thread noodles and blend thoroughly kneading with the hands.

Brush the rice paper on each side with the beer and set aside.

Cover with a cloth as you work. They take a minute or two to soften.

Put a heaping spoonful of the filling across the bottom third of the rice skin. Tuck away from you twice. Fold the sides over, then continue to roll. Seal with beaten egg and cornstarch. Fry in oil heated to about 350F until golden. Serve with lettuce leaves, garnishes and dip sauce.

Sour Fish Head Soup (Canh Chua Dau Ca)

Title: Sour Fish Head Soup (Canh Chua Dau Ca)
Categories: Vietnamese, Soups, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 4 servings
2 Scallions, white part only-crushed with the side of a knife
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ts Salt
2 tb Plus 4 teaspoons fish sauce-(nuoc mam)
1 lg Fish head or fish carcass-split down the center
1 qt Water
1/2 c Canned sliced sour bamboo
1/4 Fresh pineapple, cut in a lengthwise section and sliced
1 ds MSG (optional)
2 tb Mixed chopped fresh coriander (Chinese parsley)
Scallion green

An excellent way to get twice the pleasure out of your fish purchase.
You can use either the fish head of the fish carcass if you wish. To the people of the South, this is as much their traditional dish as Southern Fried Chicken is to our southerners and it will meet with instant praise.

Sprinkle the scallions, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons fish sauce over the fish head. Allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and drop in the sour bamboo and pineapple slices. Cook at a lively boil for 5 minutes. Drop fish head into the actively boiling water and, keeping at a boil, add the 2 tablespoons fish sauce, remaining teaspoon salt, and a dash of MSG.

Boil the fish head for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer to a soup tureen, sprinkle on the coriander and scallion green, and serve.

NOTE: If the fish head is dropped into water that is not boiling, it will fall apart.
Makes 4 servings.

COM CHIEN THAP CAM (Vietnam)

COM CHIEN THAP CAM (Vietnam)
1 2/3 cups long-grain white rice
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
2 Chinese sausages
1/4 pound raw shrimp
1/4 cup vegetable oil -- plus 1 tablespoon
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 pound crab meat
2 eggs
2 large scallions
Asian Mushroom= caps, dried, 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter
Chinese Sausage= sweet, mild, cured, pork. About 6" long sold in pairs.
Shrimp size= 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.
Fish Sauce= nam pla. Use Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce.
Crab meat= fresh, frozen, canned. Rinse and sort to discard shell, cartilage.

Day before - prepare rice. Bring 6 quarts of unsalted water to a boil over high heat in a large, heavy pot. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the rice in a thin stream. Reduce the heat to moderate and let the rice boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the grains are somewhat tender but are still slightly firm to the bite. Drain the rice in a large sieve, fluffing it with a fork.

Transfer rice to a large bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Day of
- Place MUSHROOMS in a small bowl containing 1 1/2 cups hot water. Soak for at least 30 minutes until soft. Remove mushrooms. Discard water. Rinse mushrooms of any remaining grit and cut off and discard any stems. Slice each cap crosswise into 1/2-inch strips.

- Cut ONION in half lengthwise and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.
- Wash and trim SCALLIONS, keeping most of the green tops. Cut scallions into 1-inch pieces and slice pieces lengthwise into 1/4-inch side strips.
- Shell the SHRIMP. Devein. Chop into 1/4 inch bits and set aside.
- Cut SAUSAGE into 1-1/8 inch slices. Fry the sausages in a wok over moderate heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, or until the slices are delicately browned on both sides and the edges are crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.

- Heat 1/4 cup oil in wok. Drop in the ONIONS and stirring constantly, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are soft. Regulate heat to prevent browning.

- Add MUSHROOMS, then the chilled rice and stirring constantly with a fork, cook for about 3 minutes, or until the rice ie heated through. - Stir in the FISH SAUCE.

- Push the rice to the edge of the wok to make a well in the center. Pour in the remaining oil and drop the SHRIMP into it. Without stirring rice, cook the shrimp, for about 2 minutes, turning as they become firm and pink.

- Mix the shrimp into the rice and still stirring, cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Do not let the rice brown. Stir in the CRAB meat and the SAUSAGE and cook for 2 minutes. Break EGGS, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.

- Mix in the SCALLIONS and taste for seasoning; add salt or more fish sauce if rice seems too bland. Serve the fried rice mounded on a large heated platter or bowl.

Fried Spring Rolls (cha Gio)

Title: FRIED SPRING ROLLS (CHA GIO)

Yield: 8 servings
8 oz Thin rice vermicelli-vermicelli (bun) or 2 bn Of Japanese alimentary -paste noodles (somen).
Nuoc Cham
Vegetable Platter
--------------------------FILLING--------------------------
6 Dried Chinese mushrooms
1 tb Dried tree ear mushrooms
6 Water chestnuts or 1/2-small jicama, peeled and chopped
4 oz Fresh or canned lump crabmeat, picked over and drained
8 oz Raw shrimp, shelled, deveined and minced
12 oz Ground pork shoulder
1 md Onion, minced
4 Shallots, minced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tb Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
1 ts Freshly ground black pepper
3 Eggs
-------------------ASSEMBLING AND FRYING-------------------
1/2 c Sugar
80 sm Rounds of rice paper (banh-trang), each 6 1/2 inches in diameter
Peanut oil, for frying

This is another version of the superlative Cha Gio (also called Nems). The filling here is a bit more elaborate than in the first one.

Boil the noodles.
Prepare the Nuoc Cham and Vegetable Platter. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: Soak the two types of mushrooms in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and squeeze to extract the liquid. Mince the mushrooms. Combine the mushrooms with the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands to blend. Set aside.
Assemble the rolls: Fill a mixing bowl with 4 cups of warm water and dissolve the sugar in it. The rice paper sheets are brittle and must be handled with care. (The water is used to soften the sheets for handling. Sweetening the water helps the rice paper turn a deep golden color when fried and also produces crisper rolls.) Work with only 4 sheets of rice paper at a time, keeping the remaining sheets covered with a barely damp cloth to prevent curling. One at a time, immerse a sheet in the warm water. Quickly remove it and spread flat on a dry towel. Do not let the sheets touch each other. The rice paper will become pliable within seconds.

Fold up the bottom third of each round. Put 1 generous teaspoon of filling in the center of the folded-over portion. Press into a compact rectangle.
Fold one side of the paper over the mixture, then the other side. Roll from bottom to top to completely enclose the filling. Continue until all of the mixture is used.
Fry the rolls: If possible, fry in 2 skillets. Pour 1 to 1 1/2 inches of oil into each skillet and heat to 325F. Working in batches, add some of the rolls to each skillet, but do not crowd or let them touch, or they will stick together. Fry over moderate heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning often, until golden and crisp. Remove the rolls with tongs and drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while frying the remaining rolls.

Traditionally, Cha Gio is served with the accompaniments suggested in this recipe.

To eat, each diner wraps a roll in a lettuce leaf along with a few strands of noodles and a variety of other ingredients from the Vegetable Platter before dipping it in the Nuoc Cham. If served as an hors d'ouvre, allow 4 or 5 rolls per person; serve 8 to 10 as a main course.

NOTE: Another popular way of serving this dish is to divide the noodles and elements of the Vegetable Platter evenly among the individual bowls. Top each with cut-up pieces of Cha Gio, ground roasted peanuts and Nuoc Cham.

As a quick and easy appetizer, Cha Gio can be served with just Nuoc Cham.

Yield: about 80 spring rolls.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Title: Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Yield: 30 rolls
8 oz Chicken breasts, boneless-skinless
2 T Soy sauce
1 T Hoisin sauce
1 T Water
2 ts Orange juice concentrate-frozen
1 ts Peanut butter
1/2 ts Chilli paste, Oriental
1 ts Sesame oil
2 ts Cornstarch
8 Shiitake, dried
2 oz Cellophane noodles
2 T Peanut or safflower oil
1 T Ginger, fresh; minced
2 Garlic clove; minced
3 Scallion; minced
1 Red pepper, sweet; julienned
3 T Coriander or parsley, fresh-chopped
30 Rice paper triangles (or 16-rounds)
6 c Oil; for deep frying

Cut chicken into 1-1/2 x 1/2 inch strips. In bowl, blend soy sauce and hoisin sauces, water, orange juice concentrate, peanut butter, chili paste and sesame oil until smooth. Stir in cornstarch. Add chicken and stir to coat; marinate for 15 minutes.

Cover mushrooms with warm water; soak for 15 to 50 minutes or until softened. Drain and rinse; discard stems and slice caps into thin strips.

Meanwhile, break noodles into 1-1/2 inch long pieces. Place in bowl and cover with water; soak for 5 minutes, then drain. In saucepan of boiling water, cook noodles for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.

In wok or skillet, heat peanut oil over med-high heat; cook ginger, garlic and onions for 30 seconds. Add red pepper and mushrooms; cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken with marinade; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or just until chicken is no longer pink inside. Stir in noodles and coriander; let cool.

Dip rice papers, one at a time, into warm water to soften; lay out on damp tea towels in a single layer. Place about 2 Tbsp filling in centre of each triangular sheet (or 1/4 cup in each round sheet).

Fold up bottom over filling; fold sides over and roll up tightly.
(Rolls can be covered with damp tea towel in separate layers and refrigerated for up to 8 hours)

In wok or Dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat to 375F. Fry rolls, in batches, for about 5 minutes or until crisp and golden on all sides. Drain on rack. Makes 16 large or 30 small rolls.

Instead of deep-frying, steam spring rolls in greased steamer for 5 minutes, or bake for 20 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Assembled spring rolls can also be eaten without being cooked.

Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam)

Title: Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam)
Yield: 1 servings
1 Fish Sauce Information
Fish sauce is to Vietnamese cooking what salt is to Western and soy sauce to Chinese cooking. It is included in practically all recipes. Prepared from fresh anchovies and salt, layered in huge wooden barrels, the manufacture of fish sauce is a major industry. The factories are located along the coast to assure the freshness of the fish to be processed. Fermentation is started once a year, during the fishing season. After about 3 months in the barrel, liquid drips from an open spigot, to be poured back into the top of the barrel. After about 6 months the fish sauce is produced.

The first draining is the very best fish sauce, lighter in color and perfectly clear. [Kinda like "Extra Virgin" fish sauce. S.C.] It is relatively expensive and is reserved for table use. The second and third drainings yield a fish sauce of lower quality and lower cost for general- purpose cooking. The two towns most noted for their fish sauce are Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet. Phu Quoc produces the best fish sauce, some of which is exported. On the label, the "nhi" signifies the highest quality. When fish sauce manufactured in Vietnam is not available, that of Thailand or Hong Kong is quite acceptable. Philippine or Chinese fish sauce will not be satisfactory. For table use and available in all Oriental groceries is Squid Brand Fish Sauce, the best one on the market. Whatever brand, look for the "Ca Com" on the label, which means that only anchovies were used, an indication of the highest quality for table use.

Vietnamese Bbq Duck Breast

Title: Vietnamese Bbq Duck Breast
Yield: 2 servings
4 Duck breasts, deboned and skinned
2 tb Oil
4 tb Vinegar
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/2 Inch chunk ginger root-crumbled
1/2 ts Dried chile peppers or more

This recipe is equally good with wild duck, partridge or ptarmigan.
Cut the breasts away from the bird and marinade at least two days in the other ingredients. The peppers can be increased up to 2 tsp according to taste. Drain breasts and grill over charcoal/gas, brushing on extra marinade as required. Serve with rice.