eggplant with pork

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 2: Large eggplant, weighing about 400 g
• 125 g: lean pork, finely minced
• 1 cm: Galangal, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons: Nuoc cham sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon: Pepper
• 1 clove: Garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon: Oil
• 4 sprigs: Coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Directions :

• Prick the eggplant several times with a fork.
• Grill or bake in a preheated oven, 190oC (375oF), Gas Mark 5, for about 35 minutes for large ones and 25 minutes for small ones or until they are soft. You do not want to let the skin burn.
• Allow them to cool, then peel them and cut in half lengthways.
• While the eggplant are cooking and cooling, mix the minced pork in a bowl with the galangal, nuoc cham sauce, pepper and garlic. Leave to stand for 35 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Quickly stir fry the minced pork and all its marinate. Divide the minced meat into 4 portions.
• Arrange the eggplant on 4 individual plates and top with the mince.
• Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve with light soy sauce and nuoc cham sauce to taste.

Vegetable curry

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 2: Green onions (scallions), sliced thinly
• 3 cloves: Garlic, crushed
• 75 ml: Oil
• 2 stalks: Lemon grass
• 45 g: Curry powder
• 5 g: Shrimp paste (optional)
• 2: Dried chili peppers, chopped
• 250 ml: Coconut milk
• 250 ml: Broth
• 1 tablespoon: Fish sauce
• 2: Lime leaves
• 115 g: Carrots
• 115 g: Green beans
• 225 g: New potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1: Eggplant
• ¼: Salt

Directions :

• Prepare vegetables. Remove outer leaves and tough tops and trim ends of lemon grass. Slice as finely as possible.
• Trim beans and peel carrots. Cut both vegetables diagonally into 1 1/2 in pieces.
• Slice eggplant into 1 in rounds, salt, let stand 10 minutes. Drain liquid and quarter each round.
• Heat oil in a heavy based pan, add green onions (scallions) and garlic. Sauté until just golden.
• Add curry powder, shrimp paste if desired, lemon grass and chili peppers. Cook for 6 minutes.
• Add broth, coconut milk, Fish sauce and lime leaves o citrus peel. Cover and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium, add carrots, potatoes, beans and eggplant.
• Partially cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced.

Fried water spinach with garlic

Ingredients: Serves 3-4

• 400 g: Water spinach
• 5 cloves: Garlic
• Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon: Rice wine
• 1 teaspoon: Salt

Directions:

• Remove the young leaves of the water spinach and snap the stems into sections, rinse off the dirt, soak in salt water for 10 minutes and drain.
• Crush the garlic.
• Add some oil to a pan and swirl to coat the pan with oil. Then heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan and stir fry the garlic.
• Stir fry the water spinach over high heat until cooked.
• Add the Seasoning, stir well and serve.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients : Serves 4-6

• 110 g: Rice vermicelli (yields 2 1/4 cups)
• 225 g: Lean pork
• 2: Spring onions (scallions)
• 225 g: Large shrimps
• 1: Cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1: Carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 sprigs: Fresh coriander (cilantro), coarsely chopped
• 6: Large butterhead lettuce leaves, steam ends removed and halved
• 12 sheets: Rice paper
• 725 ml: Peanut dipping sauce

Directions :

• Soak the noodles in cold water for 20 minutes.
• Blanch in boiling water, then rinse under cold water.
• Drain well and set aside on a plate.
• Meanwhile, to cook the pork, heat a saucepan of water and bring to boil over medium heat.
• Add the pork and spring onions and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the pork from the water, and when it is cool enough to handle, slice it into strips 5 x 2 1/2 x 1/3 cm. Set aside on a serving plate.
• Using the same pot of water, return ot a rolling boil and cook the shrimps for 3 minutes or until cooked.
• Remove and cool in iced water, peel and cut in half lengthways. Set aside with the pork. Discard the spring onion.
• Arrange the cucumber, carrot, fresh coriander and lettuce leaves attractively on a big platter.
• Sprinkle 2 sheets rice paper at a time with water and when each softens and is pliable, place a piece of lettuce on the bottom third of the rice paper. Put 1 piece pork, 1 small clump noodles and pieces of cucumber and carrot on top.
• Fold the bottom portion over the filling, fold in the right and left sides, and roll the wrapper one more time so that it is two-thirds rolled.
• Place 2 halves of shrimp end to end along the top of the roll and place several fresh coriander leaves on top.
• Roll the wrapper tightly until the edges seal shut. Place the finished rolls on a plate and cover with a damp towel to keep them moist until serving time.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Ingredients: Serves 4-5

• 175 g: Bean thread vermicelli
• 4: Dried Chinese mushrooms or 6 button mushrooms
• 1 piece: Light or yellow wood ear fungus
• 1 piece: Black wood ear fungus
• 1 small: Can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 2 cloves: Garlic, minced
• 2: Carrots, grated
• 2: Onions, grated
• 15 ml: Nuoc Mam sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon: Black pepper
• 1: Egg, beaten
• 1 packet: Round Banh Trang rice paper
• To Serve
• 1: Webb or round lettuce
• A few sprigs: Coriander
• A few sprigs: Mint
• ½: Cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks slices
• Nuoc Mam dipping sauce

Directions:

• Soak the vermicelli in boiled water, slightly cooled, until soft. Drain thoroughly. Use kitchen scissors to cut into shorter strands.
• Soak the Chinese mushrooms and the light and black wood ear fungus in boiled water, slightly cooled. When soft drain thoroughly, gently squeezing out any excess water. Cut finely. If using button mushrooms, wash, drain and chop finely.
• Place the vermicelli, water chestnuts, garlic, carrot, onion, light and black wood ear fungus, Nuoc Mam sauce, black pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl.
• With your hands, mix and knead the mixture until it is stiff enough to be shaped. Follow the same method to make and fry the rolls as for Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
• Place the rolls in the centre of a lettuce leaf with some mint, coriander and cucumber. Roll up and dip into the sauce while still hot.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients: Makes 20 rolls

• 20 – 25: Rice paper wrappers (some may be broken)
• 310 g: Ground chicken (or half crabmeat, half ground pork)
• 20 g: Green bean thread vermicelli
• 1: Carrot, cut into thin strips
• ¼: Cabbage, cut into fine strips
• 2: Green onions (scallions), minced
• 5 g: Sugar
• 2.5 g: Salt
• 2.5: White pepper
• 15 ml: Oyster sauce
• 3 cloves: Garlic, minced
• 45 ml: Vegetable oil (extra oil may be required for deep frying)
• 1: Egg

Garnishing

• 1 sprig: Lettuce leaves
• 1 sprig: Mint leaves

Ingredients:

• In hot water, soak vermicelli for 5 minutes until soft. Drain, cut into 2 in lengths and reserve.
• Add 3 tablespoons oil to wok or pan. Add garlic and chicken (or crabmeat and pork) and cook about 8 minutes, mashing with a fork so they do not clump together.
• Add cabbage, carrot, green onions (scallions) and vermicelli to cook on high for about 3 minutes until vegetables soften.
• Turn off heat, add salt, sugar, pepper and oyster sauce. Stir to mix well. When mixture is cool, brush each side of the rice wrappers or dip them hot water to moisten them or they will dry and break.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each wrapper, turn sides in first, roll and seal each with beaten egg. Refrigerate until needed.
• Heat extra oil in wok or pan. Deep fry rolls until golden.
• Serve on lettuce leaves garnished with lettuce and mint leaves.
• Serve with bottled sweet chili pepper sauce or nuoc cham sauce.

Shaking beef

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 Thai bird chilies or 1/2 serrano chile, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2/3 pound beef sirloin or flank steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 ripe pineapple (about 1/2 cup), cut into bite-sized slices about 1/4-inch thick (optional)
• 1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 cups watercress, washed, picked over, and torn into bite-sized sprigs
• 1 ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges

Directions

• Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chilies in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Place the oyster sauce, soy sauce and beef in a medium bowl and toss to coat the meat evenly.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add the beef and quickly stir-fry it until just charred on the edges, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the lime sauce.
• Add the pineapple slices, if using, Asian basil and red onion to the beef mixture. Spread the watercress and tomatoes in an attractive manner on a serving platter. Arrange the beef mixture and all its juices on the watercress and serve immediately (if desired, with a warm baguette or steamed rice to soak up the juices).
• Note: Another way of presenting bo luc lac is to omit the lime dressing completely and serve the beef with a dipping salt mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

Beef with Pineapple

Ingredients

• 1 green pineapple
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 350 g beef
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 bunch coriander
• 1 scallion
• Fish sauce, salt, ground black pepper, garlic, dry onion

Directions:

1 - Rinse beef with cold water, let it drain off. Cut into thin slices
2 - Peel garlic, scallion and mince them together
3 - Mix beef with fish sauce, minced dry onion, sugar and tapioca starch 

4 - Peel pineapple, remove its eyes, cut in quarters, remove its core and then cut into 0.5 centimeter slices
5 - Dissolve tapioca starch and sugar with water in a bowl 

6 - Pour cooking oil into a pan; stir minced garlic and dry onion until aroma emerges. Put beef in, stir-fry over high heat, when it is almost cooked, ladle out into a plate. 

7 - Pour some more cooking oil in, stir-fry pineapple. Pour the mixture of sugar and tapioca starch in, stir regularly, season with salt. Add beef and stir-fry together.
8 - Ladle out into a plate, spread ground black pepper, coriander on the surface.

Beef pepper

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (about 1 medium-small stalk)
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder, Sun brand preferred
• 60 ml (¼ cup) minced scallion, green and white part
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, if you want a firm filling that does not ooze while cooking)
• About 115 gm (4 oz) la lot leaves with the stems attached, enough to yield 26 to 30 large leaves
• 1 tablespoon neutral flavoured oil
• 1 recipe Basic Dipping Sauce (nuoc cham), made with the addition of minced garlic

Derections:

There are three options for cooking:

Steamed shrimp in coconut

Ingredients : Serves 4 - 6

• 4 cups (1 3/4 pints):Chicken broth
• 25 ml:    Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon:    Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon: Salt
• 1 tablespoon: Vegetable oil
• 6: Shallots (chopped)
• 2 cloves: Garlic (chopped)
• 250 g: Crabmeat
• 1: Egg (lightly beaten)
• 425 g: White asparagus spears (cut into 2 1/2 cm sections with canning liquid reserved)
• 15 g: Coriander (cilantro) leaves, shredded
• 1: Green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon:    Freshly ground black pepper
• Mix together:
• 2 tablespoon: Cornstarch or arrowroot
• 2 tablespoon: Cold water

Directions :

• If white asparagus is unavailable, use frozen or fresh asparagus (in this case, add the fresh asparagus to the broth from the very beginning and cook until tender, before adding the remaining ingredients).
• Combine the broth, 1 tablespoon/15 ml of the fish sauce, the sugar, and salt in the 3 quarter/5 1/4 pint soup pot or Dutch oven. bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the crabmeat, the remaining 2 teaspoon/10 ml fish sauce, and black pepper to taste.
• Stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Set aside.
• Bring the soup to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently until the soup thickens and is clear. While the soup is actively boiling, add the egg and stir gently.
• Continue to stir for about 1 minute. Add the crabmeat mixture and asparagus with its canning liquid; cook gently until heated through.
• Transfer the soup to a heated tureen. Sprinkle with the coriander, green onion (scallion), and freshly ground black pepper.

Sweet and sour fish soup

Ingredients : Serves 4

• 1: Catfish, sea bass or red snapper, about 1 kg, filleted
• 25 g: Dried squid, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 15 ml: Vegetable oil
• 2: Spring onions (scallions), sliced
• 2: Shallots, sliced
• 4 cm: Fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 stalks: Lemon grass, cut into strips and crushed
• 30 ml: Tamarind paste
• 2-3: Thai chilies, seeded and sliced
• 15 ml: Sugar
• 30-45 ml: Nuoc Mam
• 225 g: Fresh pineapple, peeled and diced
• 3: Tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
• 50 g: Canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 small bunch: Fresh coriander, stalks removed, leaves finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon: Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon: Ground black pepper
• 115 g: Bean sprouts
• 1 bunch: Dill, fronds roughly chopped, for garnishing
• 1: Lime, cut into quarters, to serve

Marinade :

• 30 ml: Nuoc Mam
• 2 cloves: Garlic, finely chopped

Method :

• Cut the fish into bite-size pieces. Reserve the head, tail and bones for the stock.
• In a bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients and add the fish pieces. Toss until well coated, cover and set aside. Drain and rinse the soaked dried squid.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan and stir in the spring onions, shallots, ginger, lemon grass and dried squid. Add the reserved fish head, tail and bones, and saute them gently for a minute or two. Pour in 1.2 liters of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Strain the stock into another deep pan and bring the clear broth to the boil. Stir in the tamarind paste, chilies, sugar and nuoc mam and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the pineapple, tomatoes and bamboo shoots and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Finally stir in the fish pieces and the chopped fresh coriander, and cook until the fish turns opaque.
• Season to taste and ladle the soup into hot bowls.
• Garnish with bean sprouts and dill.
• Serve with the lime quarters to squeeze over.

Hot and Sour:

Depending on your mood, or your palate, you can adjust the balance of hot and sour by adding more chili or tamarind to taste. Enjoyed as a meal in itself, the soup is usually served with plain steamed rice but in Saigon it is served with chunks of fresh baguette, which are perfect for soaking up the spicy, fruity,    tangy broth.

tomato and egg soup

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 200 g: Minced (ground) pork
• 1/4 teaspoon:    Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon:    Ground white pepper
• 1 liter: Water or stock
• 2: Tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2:  Eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon: Fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon: Sugar
• 1 teaspoon: Chicken seasoning powder
• For garnishing
• 1: Spring onion (scallions), chopped

Directions:

• Marinate minced pork with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring water or stock to the boil then scoop minced pork in teaspoon by teaspoon so it does not clump together.
• Add tomatoes
• Pour eggs in through a sieve and stir to get egg ribbons.
• Stir in fish sauce, sugar, chicken seasoning powder and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Garnish with spring onion (scallion).
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Banana flower salad

Ingredients:

• 1 banana blossom (about 1-1 1/2 pound or about 500-700 grams)
• 200 grams pork belly
• 200 grams raw shrimp or prawn, peeled and divined
• 1/4 cup roasted peanut, coarsely crushed
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon Northern thick fish sauce (Mam tom Bac) or substitute by 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (about 0.3 inch or 0.7 centimeters), peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup pepper mint (hung que)
• 1 red sweet pepper (more if you like spicy)
• Water

Directions:

• Choose a good banana blossom at the first place. Take a look at the flower you're going to buy: A good banana blossom should not have dark color or a bunch of bruises on it. Also look at the bottom end of the stem: if it's wilted and dark, that banana blossom must have been sitting in the store for a fairy long time (therefore, no longer good). You will also want to press your finger on the blossom: the one that touches firm should be a good one. If you get a good one, it's okay to let it breath in your refrigerator for a few days.
• In a large bowl, combine about 1.5 quart (about 1.4 liter) cold water with 1/4 cup lime juice. Set aside to soak banana blossom later.
• Fill half the sink with cold water.
• Remove the tough outer layer of the banana blossom and discard it along with the undeveloped "baby" bananas inside that you'll easily see once you remove the outer layer. Cut off the top end of the banana blossom about 2 millimeters (0.1 inch) as this part is often bruised and dark.
• Place  banana blossom on a cutting board and slice it across as thinly as possible. Totally sink the sliced banana blossom in the prepared water sink. Once you've cut the banana blossom to almost a half, take a pause. Now, cut off the bottom end of the stem and pull away the next layers of leaves and discard all the "baby" bananas you'll find inside. Lay those leaves on top of one another then continue to slice them as thinly as you can. Soak these sliced leaves in the water sink.
• Soak the sliced banana blossom in the water sink then discard the water. Fill the sink again and repeat the previous process for 1-2 more times then transfer the flower into the lime juice and water bowl prepared at the first step. Totally sink all the flower in this mixture to keep it from turning black. Banana blossoms only needs 5 seconds to turn black if it contacts directly with the air so you'd better get this step done fast.
• In a medium or small pot, bring 4 cups of water with a little bit salt to a warm. Wash the pork belling then add into the pot and bring to a boil. You may want to half the pork piece to fasten the cooking process. Boil the meat for about 20 minutes. Turn the meat over at half time. Let the pork rest and cool down for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the shrimp and pat dry on paper towel. Set aside.
• Transfer fish sauce into a small bowl.
• In a medium pan, heat up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and saute minced garlic and ginger in this oil until garlic smells nicely then transfer this mixture into the shrimp paste bowl and combine with sugar and 1/2 tablespoon remaining lime juice. If you use fish sauce, no need to worry about this saute step. Simply combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, ginger and 1/2 tablespoon water.
• Add the shrimp into this pan and saute until the shrimp is cooked. Add a little bit additional oil if necessary.
• Now the meat should be rested enough. Place it on a clean cutting board and cut into very fine strips. Do the same with the shrimp. Reserve a couple shrimps to garnish later if wanted. Transfer the sliced pork and shrimp into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Rinse the herb and chop finely. Reserve couple leaves for garnishing later if you want. Transfer to the pork and shrimp bowl.
• Rinse chili pepper, discard stem and finely chop along the length. Transfer to the mixing bowl above.
• Now, there're two ways you can work with the chopped banana blossom: 1)You can strain it on a colander then transfer to the mixing bowl. In this way, banana blossom will have more crispy flavor but a little bit tart. 2) Bring 4 cup water to just a a boil, remove from the oven then soak banana blossom in this hot water for about 30 seconds and strain. This way will take away the crisp but also the tart flavor. I've done both before and they were both good.
• We're almost there, now, simply add the blossom into the pork and shrimp bowl, then add in fish sauce and crusted peanut and mix thoroughly. Next step: Serve and enjoy this unique salad dish that you never find in Western cuisine ;)

Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 350 g - Chicken breast fillets
• 1 - Large green papaya
• 20 g - Vietnamese mint
• 15 g - Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 2 - Red chilies, seeded and finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons - fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon - Rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon - Lime juice
• 2 teaspoons - Sugar
• 2 tablespoons - Unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Ingredients:

• Place the chicken in a frying pan with enough water to just cover it. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the liquid, cool completely, then slice finely.
• Peel the papaya, then grate the flesh into long shreds. Mix gently with the mint, coriander, chili, fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice and sugar.
• Arrange the papaya mixture on a serving plate and top with the chicken.
• Scatter with peanuts and serve immediately.

Pomelo Salad

Ingredients : Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons: Salad dressing
• 8: Shrimp crackers, deep fried
• Salad
• 1: Pomelo or grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• 50: Lean pork, cooked and thinly sliced
• 100 g: Shrimps, deveined, cooked and peeled
• 1 teaspoon: Chopped polygonum
• Garnishing
• 1 tablespoon: White sesame seeds, roasted

Direction:

• Peel membrane form pomelo or grapefruit segments and remove sacs.
• Combine sacs with pork, shrimps and polygonum leaves in a large mixing bowl.
• Add salad dressing and toss well to combine.
• Transfer salad to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds.
• Serve with shrimp crackers on the side.