Archive for the 'Family Recipe' Category

Hủ Tiếu Mì – Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup

Published by Gastronomer on May 7, 2012 in Family Recipe, Hu Tieu Dai, Hu Tieu My Tho, Hu Tieu Nam Vang, Mi / Hu Tieu Bo Vien, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 11 Comments

One of my culinary goals this year was to stop being such a wuss about preparing Vietnamese noodle soups at home. Four months and some change into 2012, I’m stoked to have mastered Bò Kho (Vietnamese beef stew), Bún Riêu Cua (Vietnamese crab and tomato soup), and most recently, Hủ Tiếu Mì (Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup).

This most recent accomplishment coincided with my eldest cousin moving into town. Hủ Tiếu Mì is his absolute favorite noodle soup, and he requested that I make a huge vat of it just as soon as he arrived. He also asked for wontons to go with it, but that will be for another time. I need to concentrate on and conquer one dish at a time.

To learn the ins and outs of this Chinese-influenced noodle soup, I sought assistance from my aunt Thao. Something that she mentioned more than once was the importance of having a clear soup. To achieve this, the pork bones used to make the broth needs to boiled and cleaned, and one has to be diligent about skimming off any fat or foam that rises to the surface. Clear broth. Full bellies. Can’t lose.

This recipe makes about a dozen bowls worth, which is just about perfect in my mind. My cousin came over twice for dinner along with his fiancee and took leftovers for breakfast the following morning. Making a tremendous amount of food and having family over to enjoy it made me feel like I was continuing our family’s great tradition of nourishing and over-stuffing. This is what Vietnamese food is all about.

For broth

6 pounds pork bones (neck or spine—Grandma says that spine is tastiest)
1 daikon, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half or thirds
1 cup dried shrimp or 2 dried cuttlefish
7 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

For toppings and garnish

1.5 pounds ground pork
1.5 pounds pork shoulder/butt
2 bunch scallions, chopped
Salt
Pepper

For noodles

2 pounds thin or wide egg noodles (mì) or wide rice noodles (hủ tiếu), prepared according to directions on package

Make broth

Place the pork bones in a large stockpot. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the surface of the bones and bring to a boil. The pork bones will have some impurities that need to be washed away, so once the water comes to a boil, discard it and collect the bones in a colander.

One by one, rinse the bones to remove any scum. The cleaner the bones, the clearer the broth will be.

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Bún Riêu Cua – Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Soup

Published by Gastronomer on January 4, 2012 in Bun Rieu, Family Recipe, Recipe, Soups + Stew, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 9 Comments

I made my very first Vietnamese noodle soup (without grandma looking over my shoulder) on the eve before New Year’s eve. The Astronomer’s mother adores bún riêu, a northern specialty featuring thin rice noodles, a tangy broth, stewed tomatoes, and crab clusters, so I decided to prepare it for the Chaplin clan while visiting Birmingham.

Since this was a spur-of-the-moment idea, The Astronomer and I had to source all of the ingredients locally. Fortunately, a well-stocked Vietnamese grocery store nearby carried everything that we needed, from vermicelli noodles to fermented shrimp paste. Alabama, you surprise me all the time!

This recipe, which comes from my Aunt Tina, calls for canned “minced crab in spices” and employs a tamarind powder to achieve the soup’s characteristic sour notes. My dear Vietnamese-Canadian friend Nina prepares an interestingly similar version of the dish.

I imagine that these sort of semi-homemade recipes were developed within the Vietnamese community living outside Vietnam during a time when fresh crabs and tamarind weren’t readily accessible or were perhaps too pricy to afford. These recipes continue to persevere even with the availability of fresh ingredients because they’re not only convenient but are legitimately delicious.

I was so damn stoked with my first pot of bún riêu that I went ahead and made another vat yesterday at home in Pasadena. My resolution for 2012 is to stop being such a wuss when it comes to preparing Vietnamese foods at home. So far, so good.

For broth

1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bunch scallions, sliced lengthwise (white part only)
6 medium tomatoes, quartered, seeds removed
10 cups water, pork stock, or chicken stock
1.5 tablespoons fish sauce
1.5 teaspoons fine shrimp sauce (mam tom)
1.5 tablespoons tamarind soup mix

For rieu (crab mixture)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 5.6 ounce cans “minced crab in spices” (gia vi nau bun rieu)
1 bunch scallions, chopped (green part only)
3.5 ounces dried shrimp
4 eggs, beaten

To serve

Vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to instructions on package
Romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded
Fine shrimp sauce (mam tom)
Lime wedges

An hour prior to preparing the soup, soak the dried shrimp in cold water. Drain the shrimp and set aside.

Begin broth

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the oil along with the white parts of the scallions. Saute the scallions for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and saute for an additional 2 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to sweat.

Add the stock or water into the pot and turn the heat to medium-high. Season the broth with fish sauce, shrimp sauce, and tamarind soup mix. Adjust the seasonings based on whether you want it saltier (more fish sauce), sourer (more tamarind), or funkier (more shrimp sauce). Let the broth simmer on medium-low heat while preparing the crab mixture. Be careful not to let the broth boil or the tomatoes will turn to mush.

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Thịt Nướng – Vietnamese Grilled Pork

Published by Gastronomer on June 27, 2011 in Bun Thit Nuong/Xao, Family Recipe, Main Course, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 23 Comments

The Astronomer doesn’t care too much for receiving “stuff” on his birthdays, so I gifted him homemade thịt nướng with all the fixings in celebration of his 27th last weekend. Vietnamese grilled pork has been on my lengthy list of things to master for quite some time, so this was the perfect occasion to finally learn how to prepare one of our all-time favorite dishes from scratch.

I employed my aunt Phuong’s recipe for the all-important marinade. Made from an aromatic mix of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, honey, fish sauce, and sesame oil, the marinade mingled with the meat overnight to ensure that every bit of pork was permeated. To pair with the protein, I prepped some scallion oil, pickled carrots and daikon, toasted crushed peanuts, and a jar-full of nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce). Crispy fried shallots were purchased at the local Asian grocery store.

After allowing the meat to marry with the marinade, I fired up the grill, loaded up the “meat cage,” and cooked everything up in several batches. With four pounds of pork to plow through, The Astronomer and I were each treated to half a dozen bowls of bún (vermicelli rice noodles), as well as several loaves of bánh mì for the better part of a week. Thịt nướng is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

4 pounds pork butt or top sirloin, thinly sliced approximately 1/4 inch thick
3 shallots, finely minced
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup lemongrass, finely minced
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients from shallots through vegetable oil in a large bowl. Add the sliced pork to the bowl. Using your hands, massage the meat and marinade to make sure that the marinade is evenly distributed and coats every slice of meat. Allow the meat to soak in the marinade overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Traditionally, thịt nướng is cooked on a grill employing a “meat cage.” These devices can be purchased in the housewares section of any well-stocked Chinese or Vietnamese supermarket. If one cannot be located, the pork can be skewered onto bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes.

If using a meat cage, coat evenly with non-stick spray and layer the pork only one slice deep to ensure even cooking.

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Bò Bía – Vietnamese Jicama, Carrot, Chinese Sausage, Egg, and Dried Shrimp Rolls

Published by Gastronomer on May 7, 2011 in Appetizer, Bo Bia, Family Recipe, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 18 Comments

The second part of The Astronomer’s anniversary present came nearly two weeks after the first. I had originally planned to deliver both rice paper wrapped-delights simultaneously, but it turned out to be too much food and effort for only two mouths. Also, we had a ridiculous amount of leftovers from our ten-course banquet bonanza, so it was just as well that I held off on making bò bía for a little while.

Whereas The Astronomer loves gỏi cuốn most, I’ve always been partial to these lesser-known rolls filled with jicama, carrots, thin egg ribbons, Chinese sausages, and dried shrimp. The dipping sauce is identical in both situations, but the flavor profiles are completely different. While gỏi cuốn is mostly subdued save for the bites with fresh mint and garlic chives, bò bía brings bold flavors and interesting textures from start to finish.

This recipe comes from my aunt Tina, my family’s designated bò bía specialist. I grew up eating her rolls at family gatherings and have been meaning to learn how to make them for years. It’s true that bò bía contains a lot of different ingredients, but the only time-consuming and tedious step is julienning the jicama and grating the carrots. A finely sharpened mandoline slicer is extremely helpful, as well as a diligent sous chef. Once I got over this initial hurdle, the rolls came together simply, easily, and damn tastily.

1 large jicama (or 2 medium-sized), julienned
2 large carrots (or 3 medium-sized), grated
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
Non-stick cooking spray
5 Chinese sausage links
4 ounces dried shrimp
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and de-ribbed
1 package rice paper

For the slaw, combine the carrots, jicama, and salt in a large pot. Cook over medium heat until the jicama and carrots have softened, but still retain a bit of crunchiness, approximately 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the egg ribbons, beat the eggs in a large bowl using a fork or whisk until they are mostly uniform in color.

Using a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, pour in 1/3 of the egg mixture and give it a good swirl so that it spreads out thinly across the entire pan. Once the bottom side has set, run a spatula underneath the omelet and flip it to cook the other side. Repeat this step two more times for the remaining eggs. Set the finished omelets aside to cool. [Note: a thin coating of non-stick cooking spray is a good idea if your pan is weathered.]

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Gỏi Cuốn – Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Rolls with Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Published by Gastronomer on April 26, 2011 in Appetizer, Family Recipe, Goi Cuon, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 22 Comments

It is tradition in American culture to bestow paper upon one’s beloved in recognition of the first wedding anniversary. While The Astronomer and I usually buck tradition, there was something awesomely antiquated and strangely appealing about this age-old gift giving ritual.

A special book, a letter written by hand, or a magazine subscription would have all made very nice gifts for The Astronomer; however, none of these things resonated with me personally. I wanted to give him something truly unique to honor the occasion.

After plotting and planning for a few weeks, I came up with a quirky idea. Rather than define “paper” literally, I decided to interpret it edibly. For our first wedding anniversary, I presented The Astronomer with rice paper in the form of gỏi cuốn and bò bía. My husband’s the kind of guy who really appreciates cleverness, ingenuity, and deliciousness, so this gift was absolutely perfect for him.

Gỏi cuốn is a popular snack food in Vietnam and is usually ordered as an appetizer in Vietnamese restaurants stateside. It is comprised of tightly wrapped rice paper bundles filled with pork, shrimp, vermicelli noodles, herbs, and greens. A Hoisin-based sauce topped with crushed peanuts is often served on the side for dipping. The flavors and textures present in this dish are fresh, snappy, and satisfying, kind of like our first year of marriage.

For gỏi cuốn (pork and shrimp rolls)

1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound pork leg (or any other lean cut)
8 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to directions on package
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
1 cucumber
16-20 garlic chives or Chinese chives
1 package rice paper

For nước tương (hoisin dipping sauce)

Hoisin sauce
Broth from cooking pork and shrimp
Sugar
Peanuts, toasted and crushed

Prepare shrimp and pork

Bring a small saucepan filled with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until just cooked through. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. While the water is still boiling, add the pork. Reduce the heat and poach the pork at a low simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the pork and set aside to cool. Reserve the stock for the Hoisin dipping sauce.

Once the shrimp have cooled, slice each one in half horizontally. Once the pork has cooled, cut across the grain to create thin slices of pork. Set the shrimp and pork aside.

Prepare herbs and greenery

Wash head of lettuce thoroughly and remove the ribs. Remove the seeds from the cucumber and slice thinly. Wash and trim the mint and garlic chives as necessary.
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