To serve, pour each guest some of the dipping sauce into a small individual bowl. Place the bowls of cilantro, mint, and basil in the middle of the table. Place 2 lettuce leaves and 2 pork skewers on each guest's plate.
To assemble, have each guest slide the pork from the skewer onto a lettuce leaf. Sprinkle the pork with some of the herbs to taste. Roll the lettuce around the pork and dip in the sauce.
Serves 6
This Vietnamese recipe is a great appetizer to serve alongside rice paper spring rolls. The add-ons are basically the same—lettuce leaves for holding the canapé, herbs and dipping sauces for additional flavor.
Happy Pancakes
1 cup rice flour
1½ cups water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup finely sliced straw mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
3 ounces cooked salad shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
½ cup bean sprouts
¼ cup mixed, chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, basil, etc.)
Chili dipping sauce
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the rice flour, water, eggs, salt, and sugar. Set aside and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
Strain the batter through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
Add the vegetable oil to a large sauté or omelet pan. Heat on high until very hot, but not smoking.
Pour the batter into the hot pan, swirling it so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Sprinkle the mushrooms over the batter. Cover and let cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the shrimp and bean sprouts evenly over the pancake. Continue cooking until the bottom is crispy and browned.
To serve, cut the pancake into quarters. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs. Pass a favorite dipping sauce separately.
Serves 4
Another example of French/Vietnamese fusion. The pancake is actually a version of a French crepe. The topping, on the other hand, is Vietnamese all the way.
Honeyed Chicken
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
Combine the honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, and 5-spice powder in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok on medium-high. Add the onion and cook until it just begins to brown.
Add the chicken; stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger, and continue stir-frying for 30 more seconds.
Stir in the honey mixture and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken is glazed and done to your liking.
Serves 3–4
This is a version of a sweet-and-sour chicken without the bell peppers, fried batter, or red food coloring! The glaze is multidimensional in its flavor profile, and no batter means a healthier dish.
Vietnamese Oxtail Soup
2 medium onions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 pounds meaty oxtails
4 (½-inch) pieces ginger, peeled
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
1 small cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ pound bean sprouts
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 serrano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 (7-ounce) package rice sticks, soaked in hot water until soft and drained
Cut 1 of the onions into ¼-inch slices. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and sauté until they just begin to brown. Drain the oil from the browned onion and set aside.
Slice the remaining onion into paper-thin slices. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Rinse the oxtails in cold water and place them in a stock pot. Cover the tails with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and skim any residue that has come to the surface. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the browned onions, ginger, carrots, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, and garlic. Return the stock to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 hours, adding water if necessary.
When the broth is done, skim off any additional residue. Remove the oxtails from the pot and let cool until easy to handle. Remove the meat from the bones. Arrange the meat on a platter and garnish it with the sliced green onions. Discard the bones.
Strain the broth and return to the stove. Add the fish sauce and black pepper to taste. Keep warm.
On a second platter, arrange the bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, sliced chilies, and lime wedges.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Plunge the softened rice noodles in the water to heat. Drain.
To serve, place a portion of the noodles in each bowl. Set a tureen of the broth on the table along with the platter of oxtail meat and the platter of accompaniments. Let your guests serve themselves.
Serves 6–8
Don't be afraid of eating tails! These inexpensive pieces of meat are extremely tender and flavorful when braised in this fashion. If you can't find oxtails, beef or veal shanks would be a great substitute.
Fruit in Sherried Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 orange, peeled and segmented
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1½ cups kiwi slices
In a small saucepan over high heat, boil the sugar and the water until syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the lemon juice and sherry; set aside.
In a serving bowl, combine the orange segments, the pineapple chunks, and the kiwi. Pour the syrup over the fruit and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Serves 4–6
This simple syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week! Try it in some hot or iced tea!
Banana Brown Rice Pudding
1 medium banana, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup skim milk
1½ cups cooked brown rice
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the banana, fruit cocktail, water, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the bananas are tender.
Stir in the milk and the rice. Return the mixture to a boil, reduce heat again, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.
Serves 4–6
This satisfying dessert requires no baking! It is also lacking eggs and cream, so it takes on the texture of porridge more than of custard. The banana and the fruit cocktail give the pudding flavor and structure.
Vietnamese Bananas
3 tablespoons shredded coconut (unsweetened)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated ginger Grated zest of 1 orange
6 bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
4 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons orange liqueur
3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Heat a small nonstick pan over high heat. Add the coconut and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove the coconut from the pan and set asi
de.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, the ginger, and orange zest. Place the bananas in the pan, cut-side down, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce starts to become sticky. Turn the bananas over to coat in the sauce. Place the bananas on a heated serving platter and cover with aluminum foil.
Return the pan to the heat and thoroughly stir in the lime juice and the orange liqueur. Using a long-handled match, ignite the sauce. Allow the flames to die down and then pour the sauce over the bananas.
Sprinkle the bananas with the toasted coconut and the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
This dessert is a take-off on Bananas Foster, the simple yet spectacular tableside dessert made famous in the 1960s and the 1970s along with cherries jubilee!
Basic Vietnamese Chili Sauce
2 dried red chilies, stemmed, seeded, and soaked in hot water until soft
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Using a mortar and pestle, grind together the dried chilies and the garlic to form a rough paste. Stir in the sugar until well incorporated. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Yields approx. ¼ cup
This Vietnamese chili sauce differs from most Thai hot sauces with its use of dried chilies instead of fresh, yielding a smokier, somewhat softer flavor. Brown sugar also has a mellowing effect.
Chilied Coconut Dipping Sauce
¼ cup fresh coconut juice
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Bring the coconut juice, rice wine vinegar, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Yields approx. cup
This Vietnamese dipping sauce goes especially well with shrimp and fish.
Tropical Fruits with Cinnamon and Lime
Zest and juice of 6 limes
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½–1 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of salt
6 cups of tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, bananas, melons, star fruit, kiwi, etc., (anything really) cut into bite-sized pieces
Combine the lime zest and all but about of the lime juice in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the honey, whisking to form a smooth mixture. Whisk in the sesame oil, cinnamon, and salt. Adjust flavor to your liking with more lime juice if necessary.
Place the fruit in a large serving bowl. Pour the cinnamon-lime dressing over the fruit, toss to combine, and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.
Serves 6–12
Typical in many Asian fruit concoctions, salt is added to this cinnamon-lime sauce to balance sweetness. If you can't adjust your Western palate to this juxtaposition of flavors, just leave out the salt.
Potato Samosas
For the crust:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
Ice water
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the filling:
1¼ pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon ghee (see note) or oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ pound sweet peas, thawed if frozen
1 teaspoon salt
2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped mint
Lemon juice to taste
To make the pastry crust: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and the salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a firm dough is achieved. You will probably use 5 to 6 tablespoons of water total. Knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside while making the potato filling.
To make the filling: Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until quite tender. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool until they are easy to handle. Cut them into a small dice; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and sauté until the seeds begin to pop. Stir in the turmeric and the chili powder; cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the potatoes, peas, salt, and jalapeño slices. (It is okay if the potatoes and the peas get a little smashed.) Remove from heat, stir in the mint and lemon juice to taste, and set aside.
Roll the pastry until it is quite thin (-inch thick). Cut approximately ten 6-inch circles from the dough. Cut each circle in half. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each half circle. Dampen the edges of the dough with cold water, fold the dough over on itself to form a triangle, and seal firmly.
To fry, add approximately 3 inches of vegetable oil to a large saucepan. Heat the oil over high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the samosas to the hot oil a few at a time and deep-fry until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the samosas to a stack of paper towels to drain.
Serve the samosas with Tamarind Dipping Sauce (see recipe on page 274).
Yields 20 samosas
Samosas are a good introduction to Indian cuisine, because although they are filled with unusual spices, their main ingredient is potato—a very comforting food no matter how it's prepared.
Ghee
Ghee is another name for clarified butter. It is simple to make. Simply melt a quantity of unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the solid milk particles rise to the top and begin to brown. Remove the butter from the heat and strain it through cheesecloth. Ghee may be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Chapati
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 cup lukewarm water
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2½ cups of flour and the salt. Add the ghee and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour and salt mixture.
Add the lukewarm water and mix to form a dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Don't skimp on the kneading; it is what makes the bread tender.)
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a small, oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Divide the dough into golf ball–sized pieces. Using a flour-covered rolling pin, roll each ball out on a flour-covered surface to approximately 6 to 8 inches in diameter and -inch thick.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place a piece of dough on the hot surface. Using a towel or the edge of a spoon, carefully press down around the edges of the bread. (This will allow air pockets to form in the bread.) Cook for 1 minute. Carefully turn the chapati over and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Chapatis should be lightly browned and pliable, not crisp. Remove the bread to a basket and cover with a towel. Repeat until all of the rounds are cooked.
Asian Bread
Unlike in Thailand and most other Southeast Asian countries, bread is an integral part of the Indian diet. Most are not leavened and are made in individual servings, not in loaves.
Serves 6–8
Chapati is a simple griddle bread with a Muslim heritage.
Mulligatawny Soup
3 pounds chicken wings
4 whole cloves
2 medium onions, peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
1 (1½-inch) cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
5 cardamom pods, bruised
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8–12 fresh curry leaves
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
Lemon juice to taste
4–5 cups cooked rice
Place the chicken wings in a large soup pot. Cover the chicken with cold water.
Stick the cloves into 1 of the onions and place the onion in the pot with the chicken.
Add the garlic, jalapeño, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and salt; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 hours.
Let the stock come to room temperature. Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and cut the meat from the bones. Set aside the meat.
Strain the broth.
Thinly slice the remaining onion.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and sauté until translucent. Add the curry leaves and the broth. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add enough water to the coconut milk to make 3 cups of liquid. Add this and the reserved meat to the broth. Heat the soup, but do not let it boil. Season to taste with additional salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
To serve, place approximately ½ cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup over the rice.
Serves 8–10
I don't think you can find an Indian restaurant in the United States that doesn't serve this famous soup. It was first developed about 200 years ago in Madras and comes in vegetarian and meat versions.
Tandoori Chicken
4 skinless chicken breasts
4 skinless chicken legs
½ teaspoon saffron threads
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 small garlic cloves, minced
THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK Page 22