Читать книгу Homestyle Vietnamese Cooking - Nongkran Daks - Страница 6

Caramel Sauce

This sweet-salty cooking sauce, the basis for the many 'caramel' meat and seafood dishes in Vietnamese cooking, should be prepared fresh each time a recipe calls for it. It is simple to put together and the results are delicious.

135 g (2/3 cup) sugar

125 ml (½ cup) fish sauce

8 shallots, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the sugar over low heat in a skillet, stirring constantly, until it begins to melt and caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture turns into a thick syrup. Add the shallot and black pepper, mix well and remove from the heat.

Makes 135 ml (2/3 cup)

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Crispy Fried Shallots

4 tablespoons oil

6 shallots, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and stir-fry the shallot for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Keep immediately in a sealed jar to retain crispness.

Yields 50 g (¼ cup)

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 3 mins

Chicken Stock

3 liters (12 cups) water

1 fresh chicken (about 1½ kg/3 lbs)

1 tablespoon white peppercorns

150 g (1 cup) sliced onion

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a stockpot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off the foam and fat that float to the surface, until the stock is reduced to half. Remove from the heat, strain the stock and set aside to cool.

Yields 1½ liters (6 cups)

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 2 hours

Fish Sauce Dip (Nuoc Cham)

2 to 3 finger-length chilies, deseeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic

50 g (¼ cup) sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

125 ml (½ cup) water

½ teaspoon salt

Grind the chilies and garlic to a coarse paste in a mortar or blender, then combine with all the other ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved.

Yields 250 ml (1 cup)

Preparation time: 10 mins

Peanut Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Leo)

185 ml (3/4 cup) water

60 ml ¼ cup) hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon tamarind juice (page 4)

120 g (½ cup) crunchy peanut butter

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.

Yields 375 ml (1½ cups)

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Roasted Rice Powder

100 g (½ cup) uncooked rice grains

Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Bake the rice in the oven, stirring from time to time, until the rice turns light brown. Do not overcook. Alternatively, dry-fry the rice in a skillet over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until fragrant and light brown. Grind the roasted rice grains to a powder in a blender. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to several months.

Yields 100 g (1/3 cup)

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Satays

500 g (1 lb) boneless chicken thighs, cubed

12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour before using

1 portion Fish Sauce Dip (page 6)

Marinade

2 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom part only, outer layers discarded, inner part sliced

3 shallots

1 finger-length chili, deseeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Make the Marinade first by grinding the lemongrass, shallots, chili, garlic and oil to a smooth paste in a blender. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

2 Pour the Marinade over the chicken cubes and mix until well coated. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

3 Prepare the Fish Sauce Dip by following the recipe on page 6.

4 Thread the marinated chicken cubes onto the bamboo skewers and grill, a few at a time, on a pan grill or under a preheated broiler using medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked.

5 Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot with the Fish Sauce Dip on the side.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 mins + 1 hour to marinate

Cooking time: 10 mins

Pork and Prawn Crêpes (Bahn Xeo)

A crêpe is a thin pancake with a savory or sweet filling that is popular in French cuisine. The way to eat this Vietnamese crêpe is to cut it into small portions and wrap each portion in a lettuce leaf with fresh herbs.

125 g (1 cup) rice flour

250 ml (1 cup) water

250 ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 to 2 tablespoons oil

150 g (3 cups) bean sprouts, seed coats and tails removed

2 spring onions, minced

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced to yield about 1 cup

1 portion Fish Sauce Dip (page 6)

Filling

200 g (7 oz) pork, very thinly sliced

250 g (8 oz) fresh medium prawns, peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ teaspoon sugar