The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon
Page 16
1. Peel the eggs and set them aside.
2. Cut the pork into large. 2-inch cubes, cutting against the grain, so that each piece includes the lean meat, fat, and rind. Pat dry.
3. Sprinkle the sugar over the pork cubes to lightly coat each piece. Set them aside in a shallow dish for at least 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes, allowing the sugar to coat as well as penetrate the meat.
4. In a clay pot or saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the sugared pork and cook, tossing occasionally, for about 10 minutes, allowing the sugar to caramelize on all sides.
5. Add the fish sauce and stir the cubes to evenly cover them. Then add cup of the coconut juice or soda and bring the pot to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer.
6. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the hard-boiled eggs and simmer for an hour, or until the meat is tender. Keep checking the pot and, as the liquid reduces, add more coconut juice or soda in -cup increments until it is all used. The sauce should reduce, but you do not want the meat and eggs to dry out and burn.
7. The dish is ready once the liquid has been reduced to a thick caramel sauce. The pork and eggs should be a light brown color, and the pork should be extremely tender.
8. Garnish with the scallions and ground black pepper and serve with hot rice.
Asians love pickling, salt-curing, and fermenting eggs. From marbled eggs to the 1,000-year-old egg, the Chinese have created many recipes to celebrate the egg’s symbolism of fertility and rebirth. The Vietnamese are no different. They salt and ferment hard-boiled eggs, and in this recipe they braise them along with the pork. The entire egg turns brown in color and is salted all the way to the yolk. Like other salted or pickled eggs, braised eggs from the kho dish are shared by either cutting them into wedges before serving, or letting diners eat them directly from the pot by breaking and sharing them with chopsticks.
CHICKEN BRAISED IN GINGER AND COCONUT
Gà Kho Gng
On a gloomy day, coming home to this braised chicken dish is better than money in the bank. The chicken is very flavorful and moist, and it falls straight off the bone. It’s perfect with some plain steamed rice over which you’ve drizzled the caramel braising sauce.
1½ to 2 pounds chicken thighs
and legs, skinless
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup fish sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 scallions, sliced into rings
2½ tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
½ fresh Thai bird chile, chopped
into rings
1½ cups fresh coconut juice or
coconut soda such as Coco Rico
Fresh cilantro
1. Clean the chicken pieces and pat dry. Place them on a plate or baking dish, and sprinkle all over with the sugar. Let sit for about 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, fish sauce, black pepper, scallions, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the ginger, and chile.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a clay pot or saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sugared chicken. Let the chicken cook for 15 minutes, turning over the pieces as necessary, until the sugar has taken on a darkish brown color.
4. Pour the fish sauce mixture all over the chicken. Add just ½ cup of the coconut juice or soda and gently stir it in. Bring the pot to a boil and let it continue to boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Add another ½ cup coconut juice or soda. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
5. Continue simmering the chicken for 2 hours, adding the remaining ½ cup of coconut juice, a little bit at a time, being careful that the chicken does not dry out and burn.
6. After 2 hours, the chicken will be thoroughly cooked, and the meat will be falling off the bone. The sauce will have thickened nicely. If you prefer a more syrupy texture, you can continue cooking, but for no longer than 30 minutes. Either way, serve the chicken with hot rice. Drizzle the sauce over the rice and garnish with fresh cilantro and black pepper.
A CELEBRATION FOR THE CHILDREN
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Tet Trung Thu, has been important to families in Vietnam for many years, as it is a celebration for the children. It is customarily held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in late August or early September. The festival originated because parents needed to make up time they’d lost with their children during harvest season. The festival takes place during a full moon and pays homage to it, a symbolic representation of fullness and the prosperity of life.
Children parade on the streets in costumes while singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes. Part of the tradition is for parents to help children make their lanterns and costumes. I remember my mom making our lanterns from printed wrapping paper. She was so meticulous with crimping the paper to make the round lanterns.
Today Tet Trung Thu festivals in Little Saigon continue celebrating children and promoting education, poetry, dance, and arts and crafts. For food, it is customary to give banh trung thu, boxes of mooncakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans, and orange peels and have a bright egg yolk in the center to represent the moon. The cakes are generally sold throughout Little Saigon only on the days leading up to the festival.
Saigon, 1957
CATFISH BRAISED IN CARAMEL SAUCE
Cá Kho T
Ca kho to has always been a traditional recipe of South Vietnam. Because this dish can be made ahead of time, and the saltiness helps it last a little bit longer than your average leftover, it is extremely popular to have during the week of Tet. This version is my grandma’s recipe and better than other ca kho to recipes I have had in restaurants. She loves using lots of pepper and keeping the sauce thin. In this recipe, coconut soda or a 7Up-like soda helps break down the proteins of the fish; the carbonated beverage also cuts the fishy smell a little better than coconut juice would. Choose fresh catfish, cod, halibut, or another non-oily fish with a firm flesh. If you use a fish with a soft flesh, such as flounder, the fish will be braised into a puree. It is important that you ask for a cross-sectional cut; better yet, a cut toward the tail where you will find most of the meat. Serve this fish with lots of freshly ground black pepper and steamed white rice.
¾ pound fresh catfish, cod, or
halibut, cut in 1-inch crosssectional
slices, with skin and
bones intact (ask your fishmonger
to do this for you)
2½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup fish sauce
1 fresh Thai bird chile, sliced into
rings with seeds
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 cup Coco Rico coconut soda, or
7Up or similar soda
1 scallion, chopped into rings
Fresh cilantro
1. Begin by cleaning the fish slices thoroughly. Pat dry and place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the sugar lightly on both sides of the slices. Let the fish sit for at least 1 hour or up to 1½ hours in the refrigerator, allowing the sugar to permeate the flesh.
2. In a clay pot or a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the sugared fish slices in the pot and brown them for at least 5 minutes on each side. Add the fish sauce, chile, and black pepper; raise the heat to high and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add ½ cup of the coconut soda and cook over high heat for a few more minutes before reducing the heat to a simmer. Gradually add more soda as the liquid reduces until you have used all the soda. You do not want the liquid to reduce too quickly.
4. In about 2 hours the finished sauce should have a light syrupy consistency, not too thick. It depends on your preference, but either way, you will have a nice fragrant sauce with the cooked fish.
5. Serve directly from the clay pot and sprinkle black pepper for garnish over the dish along with the cilantro a
nd chopped scallion. Serve with plenty of steamed rice.
BRAISED DUCK WITH COCONUT JUICE
Vt Kho Dùa
This is a great dish to introduce to your friends who are having duck for the first time. Though this recipe is similar to the braised chicken dish, duck is a much more succulent and savory meat. With the five-spice powder flavoring and perfuming the duck, you end up with a particularly decadent neal with a delicious, caramelized coconut sauce.
1½ to 2 pounds skinless duck
thighs and legs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons five-spice powder
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup fish sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 scallions, sliced into rings
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 fresh Thai bird chile, chopped
into rings
1½ cups coconut juice or coconut
soda such as Coco Rico
Fresh cilantro
1. In a shallow dish or on a baking sheet, arrange the duck thighs and legs. Sprinkle with the sugar and five-spice powder all over them. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, fish sauce, pepper, scallions, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the ginger, and chile.
3. In a clay pot or a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the sugared duck thighs and cook for about 15 minutes, making sure to turn them over as they cook so the sugar caramelizes and the meat is browned all over.
4. Pour the fish sauce mixture into the pot and gently stir so that it covers all the meat. Add ½ cup coconut juice or soda to the pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer. As the sauce reduces, add the remaining ½ cup coconut juice or soda so the duck does not burn, and continue simmering for another 2 hours. For the final product, the sauce should be thick and the duck meat falling off the bone when you serve it.
5. Serve the duck directly from the clay pot, family-style, with hot steamed rice. Drizzle the sauce over the rice for an even better taste. Garnish with the fresh cilantro and additional black pepper.
PORK RIBLETS AND SHRIMP SAUTÉED IN SALTY CARAMEL SAUCE
Tom Sn Ram Mn
Riblets are like cross-sectional cuts of pork spare ribs. If you don’t like shrimp, try the salted short ribs recipe instead. Pay attention to the caramelization process; you don’t want to overcook and dry out the riblets. When done correctly, you will have falling-off-the-bone tender meat. It’s great to use fatty portions of the riblets, as they can be so unctuous and flavorful. Consider adding shiitake mushrooms to the clay pot; they are great when braised with rich meats like these riblets. Serve with lots of hot steamed rice. This is a salty dish.
2 tablespoons salt
1½ cups water
½ pound fresh shrimp, heads
removed, shell intact, and
deveined
¾ pound pork riblets
2 tablespoons sugar
cup fish sauce
½ fresh Thai bird chile, finely
chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons ground black
pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, quartered and
separated
¾ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms
(optional)
Fresh cilantro
Chopped scallions
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the shrimp and let it soak in the salt water for an hour. Drain the shrimp and pat dry.
2. In a shallow dish, combine the pork riblets and shrimp. Sprinkle the sugar all over them. Set aside for at least 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, chile, garlic, and black pepper.
4. In a clay pot or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When it is hot, saute the onions for 5 minutes. Then add the sugared shrimp and pork. Sear the meat and shrimp for about 10 minutes. The sugar should caramelize and turn the meat and shrimp a golden brown.
5. Pour the fish sauce mixture over the shrimp and pork, add the optional shiitake mushrooms, cover the pot, and simmer for a half hour. The fish sauce mixture should be reduced by half.
6. Garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve hot with loads of steamed rice.
SALTED SHORT RIBS IN A CLAY POT
Suòn Kho Mân
I could dine happily on this savory dish alone. It is one of my favorites. The sugar and salt in the marinade cure the meat. I love the residual thick sauce because I can pour it over my steamed rice. In a departure from other clay pot dishes, 7Up or Sprite is used here instead of Coco Rico. The soda is a must as it works as a meat tenderizer as well as helping to retain moisture in the meat. Don’t be too concerned with the amount of salt; you should serve this dish with copious amounts of steamed rice.
1 pound beef short ribs (pork
riblets can be substituted)
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
cup fish sauce
1 fresh Thai bird chile, finely
chopped
½ tablespoon ground black
pepper
3 tablespoons oil
2 large shallots, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon whole cloves
½ cup 7Up, Sprite, or generic
equivalent
1. Pat the short ribs dry and place them in a large bowl or on a shallow dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, fish sauce, chile, and pepper. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the marinade all over the short ribs, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. In a clay pot or a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Saute the shallots, garlic, and cloves. Add the short ribs with the marinade and sear for about 8 minutes until they are brown on all sides.
4. Add the 7Up or Sprite and cover the pot. Cook for an hour over low heat or until the short ribs are tender and the meat falls off the bone. The liquid should have reduced to a syrup.
5. Serve with loads of hot steamed rice and the salad platter.
CRISPY COCONUT AND TURMERIC CREPES
Bánh Xèo
Traditionally South Vietnamese fare, these yellow crepes, made with bits of pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and green onions and filled with bean sprouts, are best served when they emerge hot and crispy from the skillet. Alone the blend may seem a bit bland, but once nuoc cham is added, the flavors immediately brighten. It takes some practice to get the crepe to fold over nicely without falling apart. Even if you don’t get it right on the first try, a broken crepe is still as delicious to eat as a beautifully presented one. The key to this crepe recipe is the coconut juice, which gives the crepe its rich flavor; don’t make the mistake of following a recipe that allows you to substitute something like water or milk for this crucial ingredient. For the filling, pork shoulder is the best choice, but firm tofu, chicken breast, or ground pork or beef can be used as substitutes; just make sure you are using fillings that are firm when cooked, and which do not require much time to cook.
FILLING:
¾ pound pork shoulder, sliced thin
3 tablespoons salt
8 tablespoons canola oil
2 yellow onions, sliced in rings or
diced to your own preference
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ pound shrimp, halved, peeled,
and deveined
2 cups thinly sliced white or brown
mushrooms
1 pound fresh mung bean sprouts
½ pound steamed mung beans
(optional)
CREPES:
1½ cups water
1 cup coconut milk
2½ cups rice flour
½ tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ t
easpoon salt
4 scallions, sliced thinly into rings
Banks in Little Saigon have become involved in Tet celebrations, passing out red envelopes with bank logos when the Vietnamese go to get fresh new currency for li si. The Wells Fargo Bank has even added the Vietnamese language to their ATM machines and marketing literature.
1. In a large stockpot, boil the pork shoulder or bacon for about 20 minutes in water with the 3 tablespoons of salt. When the pork is cooked through, remove it from the pot. pat dry, and set aside to cool. Slice the cooled pork into ¼-inch slices against the grain. Cover and set aside.
2. Next, prepare the crepe batter. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the water and coconut milk. With a whisk or wooden spoon, slowly add the rice flour and continue stirring to fully blend the dry ingredients into the liquid. Repeat the same procedure as you add the cornstarch, turmeric, and salt. Blend well, as the rice flour tends to collect at the bottom of the bowl. Add the scallions and let the batter sit for 15 minutes.