Archive for the 'Recipe' Category

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Thịt Bò Xào Hành Tây – Vietnamese Stir-Fried Beef with Onions

Published by Gastronomer on January 28, 2013 in Bun Thit Nuong/Xao, Family Recipe, Main Course, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 4 Comments

While The Astronomer desires nothing more than a hunk of grilled lemongrass pork atop his bún (vermicelli rice noodles), I’ve got a soft spot for stir-fried steak, a dinnertime staple at my house growing up. Pork is almost always my protein of choice, but beef gets a slight edge here for its intrinsic juiciness, ease of preparation, and sweet onion companions. The way the meat’s drippings mingle with the marinade and the nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce) gets me every time. You bet your boots I pick up my bowl and slurp up every last drop.

To ensure that the beef is cooked through and the onions are caramelized evenly, I prefer to prepare this dish in smaller batches. The beef to onion ratio can be altered depending on personal preferences. My family tends to go heavy on the onions, about 1.5 onions for every 1 pound of meat. Any uncooked meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for a few months.

While I love thịt bò xào hành tây best served over vermicelli rice noodles with fresh herbs, lettuce, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, toasted peanuts, scallion oil, and ladles of nước chấm, it also tastes stupendous served simply over steamed jasmine rice.

4 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced approximately 1/4 inch thick
3 large shallots, finely minced
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 cup finely minced lemongrass
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt, plus additional for stir frying
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus additional for stir frying
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional for stir frying
6 medium onions, sliced into “half moons” approximately 1/3 inch thick

Combine all ingredients from flank steak through vegetable oil in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the mixture 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.

In a large wok or non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add onions along with a light sprinkling of salt, and saute until desired doneness is achieved, about 5 to 10 minutes. Some people may prefer onions with a little bite, but I like mine cooked through and lightly caramelized.

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Nước Chấm – Vietnamese Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Published by Gastronomer on January 21, 2013 in Family Recipe, Recipe, Sauce + Condiment and Vietnamese. 12 Comments

Of all the family recipes I’ve learned over the years, this nuoc cham is without question the most essential. From com tam (broken rice) to banh cuon (pork and mushroom crepes) to cha gio (deep-fried spring rolls) to thit nuong (grilled pork), nearly every dish in the Vietnamese culinary cannon depends on this sweet and sour “mother” sauce to season, spice, and delight. When paired with a lackluster nuoc cham, even the most carefully prepared dishes can fall disappointingly flat.

This recipe comes from Aunt Phuong, the premier nuoc cham artist in my family. While garlic, chilies, lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce are all standard ingredients, her use of Coco Rico soda in place of water takes the vinaigrette to the next level. Though mostly mild in flavor, the coconut-tinged soda brings a crisp sweetness that water doesn’t possess. The soda’s carbonation fades just as soon as it’s combined with the sugar, so no worries about bubbly nuoc cham. Stir, stir, stir…

When stored in an airtight container, the vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for up to four months.

4 large garlic cloves
2 Thai red chillies
1 can Coco Rico soda (12 ounces)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar (77 grams)
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Trim and finely mince garlic cloves and chilies. Set aside.

Combine sugar and soda in a medium-sized bowl, stirring briskly with a large spoon to dissolve sugar completely.

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Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Published by Gastronomer on January 14, 2013 in Pie + Tart and Recipe. 7 Comments

The dwarf Meyer lemon tree that The Astronomer’s parents gifted us two years ago produced only three fruits this season, which meant that there was only enough juice, zest, and flesh to execute one lemon-intensive recipe. After scrounging my bookshelves, the internet, and a fantastic article titled “100 things to do with a Meyer lemon“ for a very worthy candidate, I settled on this Meyer lemon curd tart by Chef Anne Burrell. Cakes and cookies were all in the running, but I ultimately chose a curd-based creation to let the fruit’s one-of-a-kind flavor shine through cleanly and brightly.

While I usually bake solo due to lack of counter space in the kitchen, I recruited The Astronomer to make the shortbread crust because he’s got a cool touch that’s perfect for working, shaping, and forming dough. This left me in charge of the filling, which came together as simply as the recipe billed, although it was a touch too sweet for our tastes. The original recipe called for 1 1/3 cups sugar, but a single cup would’ve been more suitable for our puckery palates—the recipe below reflects this preference.

Our tag-team effort yielded a most lovely tart—smooth curd cradled by a delicate, buttery crust. While it would’ve been awesome to have had a more bountiful lemon harvest this season, we maximized our Meyer lemon pleasure with this simple but immensely satisfying tart. Ain’t nothin’ like California citrus.

What else to make with Meyer lemons? Last year, The Astronomer made a dynamite Shrimp Piri Piri, while I baked blissfully bitter muffins.

For the crust

1 stick cold butter, cut into pea size pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1 egg yolk
Pinch salt
2 to 4 tablespoons cold water

For the curd

3/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
3 Meyer lemons, zested
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
Pinch salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into pats

Make the dough

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the butter, sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt in a food processor and pulse for 30 to 60 seconds or until the mixture has a grainy consistency, or what Chef Anne Burrell likes to call the “Parmesan cheese” stage. Add half of the water and pulse the food processor 2 to 3 times. The dough should start to come together, add the remaining water if needed. Check the consistency of the dough by clenching a small handful in your fist. If the dough stays together it is the proper consistency. If not, pulse the dough with a little more water.

When the dough has reached the proper consistency, dump it out on a clean work surface. Using the heel of your hand, schmear the dough straight forward and roll it back with your fingertips. Repeat this process 1 to 2 more times, dust with flour if needed. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a generously-floured work surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 to 1/4-inch in thickness. Lay the dough in the tart pan. Push the dough into the sides of the tart pan using well-floured fingers. Roll over the top edge of the tart pan with the rolling pin to cut the extra dough from the pan and create a crisp edge.

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Vietnamese Chicken Curry Pot Pie

Published by Gastronomer on January 7, 2013 in Curry, Main Course, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 6 Comments

At Good Girl Dinette, a charming spot in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, “American Diner Meets Vietnamese Comfort Food.” While The Astronomer and I are tremendous fans of most everything on the menu, from the blistered imperial rolls to the deeply caramelized pork confit, it’s the restaurant’s signature chicken curry pot pie that we find impossible to resist every time we swing in for dinner.

Each pot pie is baked to order, ensuring that the buttermilk biscuit topping is perfectly flaky, while the fish sauce-laced curry bubbles just beneath. There’s something about the way the buttery crust melds with the spice-laden stew that satisfies and surprises with each bite.

Not everyone is lucky enough to live a short drive away from The Dinette, and Chef Diep Tran’s pot pie is much too delicious to be reserved for locals only. Thankfully, those who reside outside the Southland can reproduce the dish at home with the help of this spot-on recipe that first appeared in the New York Times article “Based on an Old Family Recipe.” I’ve had it bookmarked for ages and finally got around to executing last week when the holiday rush died down.

The original recipe makes five hearty individual servings, just like in the restaurant. However, I made two larger pot pies using 10-inch round quiche dishes since I don’t own any gratin dishes. Also, I used chicken legs in place of the thighs because that was the only cut my market had in stock. Even with these minor tweaks, the results were most satisfactory.

For buttermilk biscuits

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
11 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For chicken curry

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1/4 cup Madras curry powder
2 lemon grass stalks, tops trimmed, bases halved lengthwise and smashed
3 white onions, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1/2 to 3/4 cup fish sauce
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 large Yukon Gold or baking potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 1/4 cups coconut milk

Make buttermilk biscuits

Have ready five 24-ounce oval (or 2 10-inch round quiche dishes) gratin dishes.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder to combine. Transfer 1 cup of the dry ingredients to a food processor, and sprinkle with the cubes of butter. Pulse 5 to 7 times until the butter pieces are pea-size. Transfer to the bowl with the remaining dry ingredients, and stir to distribute the butter evenly.

Make several depressions in the flour mixture with your fingers; add the buttermilk a little at a time, mixing with your fingers, until it is all incorporated. Gently work the dough just until it comes together. Cover lightly, refrigerate 1 hour.

Note: Don’t sweat it if your dough looks a bit hairy and craggy. Chef Diep Tran assured me that the uglier the dough, the tastier the results. She was right, of course.

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