Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan - Recipes and Excerpt

VI E T NAME S EHOMECOOKI NG

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Charles Phan

Contents

Vietnamese Home Cooking Chef-Owner, The Slanted Door with Jessica Battilana

Photography by Eric Wolfinger

TEN SPEED PRESS Berkeley iii

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For Dad and Ah Neng

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xxvi

Preface



Street Food

34 Green Papaya Salad with Rau Ram, Peanuts, xxviii

Introduction

Soup 5 6 7 8 10 14 16 18 20 22 25 26

Pork Stock Chicken Stock Beef Stock Pho Gá: Chicken Noodle Soup Pho Bò: Beef Noodle Soup Wonton Noodle Soup Bún Bò Hue Bánh Canh: Pig's Knuckle Soup Cháo: Chicken Rice Porridge Simple Fish Soup Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup Crab and Corn Soup

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37 44 48 51 52 55 56

58 60

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and Crispy Shallots Beef Jerky Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls Chinese Doughnuts Bánh Mì Mama’s Meatballs Lemongrass Pork Halibut Vermicelli with Dill and Pineapple-Anchovy Sauce Bánh Xèo: Crepe with Pork and Shrimp Bánh Bèo: Steamed Rice Cakes with Mung Beans and Shrimp Bánh Cuón: Rice Crepes with Pork and Mushrooms

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Steaming 70 72 74 76

78 82 83 84 86 90 92



Daikon Rice Cake with Spicy Soy Black Bean–Glazed Pork Spareribs Bánh Nam: Banana Leaf–Wrapped Rice Dumplings Black Cod with Lily Buds and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms Chicken Steamed Buns Vegetarian Steamed Buns Pork Steamed Buns Ground Pork with Salted Fish Hue Rice Dumplings Lotus Leaf–Wrapped Sticky Rice Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger, Scallions, and Soy

Braising 100 Chicken with Lily Buds and Dried



Shiitake Mushrooms

102 Chicken Curry 104 Duck Legs with Bamboo, Virginia Ham, and



Shiitake Mushrooms

106 Soy-Braised Pork Belly with Ginger



and Star Anise Catfish Clay Pot Pork Clay Pot with Young Coconut Juice Lo Soi Braised Pork Lemongrass Beef Stew Caramelized Lemongrass Shrimp Braised Branzino with Tomatoes and Pickled Mustard Greens 120 Yuba Dumplings with Miso Broth 108 110 113 115 116 118

Contents

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Stir-Frying

Grilling

128 Broccoli with Beech Mushrooms

154 Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet





129 129 131 132 134 136 137 138 140 143

144 146 147 148

and Roasted Chile Paste Bok Choy with Baby Shiitake Mushrooms Spinach with Caramelized Shallots Gulf Shrimp and Sing Qua Stir-Fry Squid with Tomato and Pickled Mustard Greens Black Bass with Yellow Chives and Bean Sprouts Scrambled Eggs and Pork Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste Lemongrass Chicken Bo Luc Lac: Shaking Beef Beef Bavette with Tomatoes and Thick-Cut Potatoes Fried Rice Wok-Fried Noodles with Beef and Bok Choy Crispy Egg Noodles with Seafood Mix-and-Match Wok-Fried Noodles

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Lemongrass Marinade Pork-Stuffed Squid with Spicy Tomato Sauce Clams with Crispy Pork Belly and Thai Basil Grilled Whole Fish Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce Grilled Five-Spice Chicken with Tamarind Sauce Spicy Mango Salad Pomelo Salad Rice Clay Pot with Chicken and Chinese Sausage Roasted Eggplant and Leek Salad Vermicelli (Bun) Bowls Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro, Scallions, and Lime 171 Simple Grilled Shrimp 156 158 161 162 164 165 165 166 168 170 171

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Frying 178 182 185 186 188 191 194 196 199

Imperial Rolls Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritters Squid with Pineapple and Toasted Garlic Fragrant Crispy Duck with Watercress Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings Lacquered Quail with Sichuan Cucumber Pickles Hoi An Wontons with Spicy Tomato Sauce Sweet and Sour Fish Turmeric-and-Beer-Battered Soft-Shell Crab

Glossary 202 Ingredients 214 Condiments 216

Acknowledgements

217

Conversion Chart

218

Index

Contents

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54

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Lemongrass Pork — This cheater’s version of porchetta makes a great filling for bánh mì (page 51), though it’s also good on its own, with rice and a vegetable side dish. • ¾ cup finely chopped lemongrass (see page 207) • ¼ cup chopped garlic • 3 tablespoons kosher salt • 1½ tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, cooled, and ground • 1½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper • ¼ cup canola oil • 4 pounds boneless pork loin Serves 6 as a main course or makes enough meat for 8 to 10 sandwiches 4. When you are ready to cook the meat, remove it from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Place the pork loin on a cutting board. Beginning at one end of the loin, make a horizontal cut about 1-inch deep. Continue cutting the length of the loin. Then, return to the start of the cut and deepen the cut, pulling back the meat as you go, until the pork loin opens like a magazine. Do not cut all the way through.

5. Roast the pork for about 1¼ hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the shoulder registers 140°F. Transfer the shoulder to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.

3. Spread three-quarters of the spice mixture on the top of the pork and then roll the pork into a tight cylinder, securing it at 3-inch intervals with butcher’s twine. Rub the remaining mixture on the outside of the meat. Place the meat on a rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Street Food

1. In a bowl, combine the lemongrass, garlic, salt, coriander, and pepper and stir to mix. Add the oil and stir until a thick paste forms. Set aside.

6. If serving the pork hot as a main course, let rest for about 30 minutes then slice the shoulder and serve. If you’re planning to use the pork for sandwiches, let cool completely before slicing.

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Bánh Mì — In the last couple of years, bánh mì, a baguette sandwich that has been a favorite snack in Vietnam since French colonial days, has become popular in the States. The sandwiches are sold almost everywhere in Vietnam, filled with almost anything. Although I’ve tried many, many versions of bánh mì in the States, none has been quite as good as what I can get back in Vietnam. Happily, a very good version can be made at home. Best bread:

Filling:

Dozens of different fillings for these sandwiches are possible: headcheese, Vietnamese bologna, grilled meat (chicken, pork, or beef), or even vegetarian versions with tofu or mushrooms. My favorite fillings are Lemongrass Pork (page 55) and Mama’s Meatballs (page 52), which makes a saucy, messy, Sloppy Joe–like sandwich.

Toppings:

A bánh mì needs pickled carrots (page 35), thin slices of jalapeño chile, cucumber, and lots of fresh cilantro. These toppings give the sandwich flavor and offset the fattiness of the fillings. Without these additions, you’ll still have a tasty sandwich, but it won’t be a bánh mì. Two more tips: spread both cut sides of each roll with a little mayonnaise to ensure the sandwich isn’t dry, and finish it with a drizzle of Golden Mountain or Maggi seasoning sauce (page 214).

Street Food

This might be the most important element of a bánh mì. In Vietnam, the baguettes are made with a combination of rice flour and wheat flour. They have a crackly exterior and a fluffy interior. The crust shouldn't be too robust, though, or the sandwich will be difficult to chew and you’ll tear up the roof of your mouth. This is a case when you don’t want to use the fanciest artisanal country loaf or the crustiest baguette. A toasted supermarket baguette, a bolillo (a torpedo-shaped Mexican roll), or a roll that you find in an Asian market is your best best. Split the roll lengthwise and pull out most of the bread guts. This will ensure that your sandwich isn’t too doughy and that you can get your mouth around it.

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Roasted Chile Paste —

• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (see page 211) • 1 tablespoon annatto seeds (see page 202) Our roasted chile paste runs circles around • ½ cup finely chopped shallots store-bought versions. The Sichuan pepper• ½ cup canola oil corns give it an almost floral, complicated heat, • ¼ cup finely minced garlic (about 8 cloves) punched up by red pepper flakes and mellowed • ¼ cup red pepper flakes out by the ground bean paste. It’s used as a con• � cup ground bean paste (see page 214) diment, added to dipping sauces, and used as an • 2 tablespoons rice wine (see page 215) ingredient in cooked dishes. If you are opting for • 2 tablespoons sugar store-bought, you’ll find it in glass or plastic • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (see page 215) jars, often labeled chile-bean or saté paste (see bean paste page 214). Look for a brand made without preservatives. 1. Combine the peppercorns and annatto seeds in a spice grinder (or use a mortar and pestle) and grind coarsely. Set aside.

3. Stir in the red pepper flakes and the peppercorn-annatto mixture, mixing well. Add the wine, sugar, and soy sauce and continue cooking, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Braising

2. In a small saucepan, combine the shallots and oil over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, until the shallots are light gold. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes longer, until the garlic and shallot are lightly browned.

Makes about 1½ cups

How to Chop Lemongrass The texture of chopped lemongrass is important. We go through cases and cases of lemongrass each week for the restaurants, so hand-chopping is not possible. But at home it’s always my first choice. First, cut the bottom ½-inch off each lemongrass stalk and trim the greenish, woody top portion and discard. Peel the outer layers from the stalk until you arrive at the firm, tender center. With a sharp knife, thinly slice the stalk into coins, then run your knife through the pile of coins until you have reduced them to

nubby bits. You want to detect the bits of lemongrass in a finished dish: they should register on your tongue, then dissolve, leaving only the bright aroma behind. To preserve the aromatic quality of fresh lemongrass, chop it just before using. If you live in a place where lemongrass is hard to come by, buy extra: whole stalks can be frozen for future use.

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Copyright © 2012 by Charles Phan Photographs copyright © 2012 by Eric Wolfinger All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.tenspeed.com Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publicaion Data Phan, Charles. Vietnamese home cooking / Charles Phan, ChefOwner of The Slanted Door. p. cm. 1. Cooking, Vietnamese. I. Slanted Door (Restaurant) II. Title. TX724.5.V5P54 2012 641.59’295922—dc23 2012014119 ISBN: 978-1-60774-053-7 eISBN: 978-1-60774-385-9 Book design by Manual Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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VI E T NAME S EHOMECOOKI NG