EggRolls (Cha Gio or Nem)
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces dried cellophane noodles
1 ounce dried cloud ear mushrooms
1 pound ground pork (70% lean)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 large egg, coarse sea salt , freshly ground black pepper
40 triangular rice papers, vegetable oil for deep frying,
1 bunch mint leaves, table salad
Nuoc cham
Preparation: Soak the cellophane
noodles and cloud ear mushrooms in lukewarm water to cover until
dehydrated, about 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze noodles and
cloud ears to get rid of the excess water. Finely chop the
noodles and cloud ears and put them in a mixing bowl.
Add the ground pork, onion, garlic, carrot,
and egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients
with your hands until evenly combined. Pour lukewarm water about
1 inch deep into a square or rectangular dish. Separate and soak
4 rice papers at a time until pliable, about 5 minutes.
Place a clean kitchen towel on your work
surface, then place each triangle, rounded side near you, on the
towel. With another kitchen towel, blot each wrapper until it is
no longer wet but remains sticky. Place about 1 teaspoon filling 1 inch from
the rounded edge. Fold the wrapper once over the filling, then
fold in the sides and continue rolling tightly to the pointed
end. Repeat this process with the remaining rice papers and filling.
Heat the oil in a wok to 360 F. to 375 F
over medium-high heat. Test the heat of the oil with one roll;
the oil should sizzle abound the roll but not so vigorously as
to destroy the spring roll. Fry a few rolls at a time, turning
them once immediately to prevent them from sticking together,
then turning them occasionally until golden on all sides, 3 to 5
minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with mint, table salad,
and nuoc cham.
VARIATION: Substitute 8 ounces fresh
shredded crabmeat or minced shrimp for half of the ground pork
amount and follow directions. HINT: As you make cha gio, stack
them, covering each layer with plastic wrap to keep them from
drying out, and refrigerate. Serve them freshly fried the next
day. Freeze leftover rolls for up to a month;
reheat them in a 375 F, oven for 15 minutes, turning once.
Presentation: Over each serving of
noodles, scatter some lettuce, carrot, cucumber, mint, and beef.
Drizzle with nuoc cham and toss well.
Fresh Rice Noodles with Stir-Fried Beef or Eggrolls
(Bun Bo Xao)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound dried rice vermicelli or 1 pound fresh rice noodles (bun)
8 romaine lettuce leaves, ribs removed,
julienne 2 carrots, peeled
julienne 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced into crescents
12 large mint leaves,
julienne stir-fried beef with onions (Bo xao)
Eggrolls (optional)
Nuoc cham (fish sauce)
Prepare the rice noodles or vermicelli:
If using dried rice vermicelli, put it in a bowl with
lukewarm water to cover. Let stand until pliable, about 20
minutes. Bring a pot filled with water to a boil over high heat.
Drain and divide the rice vermicelli into 4 equal portions.
Place one portion at a time in a sieve and
lower it into the boiling water. Untangle the noodles with
chopsticks and boil until tender but firm, about 3 seconds.
Remove, drain, and place in a large bowl.
Repeat this step until you have 4
individual servings. If using fresh bun (ready to eat rice
noodles that sold in most Asian groceries stores), there is no
need to boil them.
Vietnamese Pancake (Banh Xeo)
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups rice flour pinch turmeric
1/2 cup coconut milk
vegetable oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1/2 pound small shrimp, shelled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
1-1/2 pounds bean sprouts, root ends trimmed
table salad , traditional herbs
Nuoc cham (fish sauce)
Preparation: Whisk together the
flour, turmeric, coconut milk, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons oil,
and scallions until well combined. Allow the batter to rest for
30 minutes.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or skillet
over high heat and stir-fry the pork for 3 minutes. Add the
shrimp and cook until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bean
sprouts and cook until just translucent but still firm, about 1
minute. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in an 8-inch nonstick
skillet over medium-high heat. While tilting the pan add 1/4 cup
of the batter, swirling the pan at the same time to evenly
distribute the batter.
(Starting from the center of the pan and
swirling so the batter moves outward is a good technique, but if
you are used to another method, please apply it here.) Once the crepe starts to bubble gently in
the center and loosen itself at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes, add
1/3 cup of the stir-fried pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, fold
over one half of the lacy crepe, and slide onto a serving dish.
Continue making banh xeo as you serve them. Serve with table
salad and herbs, and nuoc cham (fish sauce) on the sides.
Fish Sauce
(Nuoc Cham)
INGREDIENTS:
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 small fresh red chile pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
Preparation: Combine the garlic,
chile and sugar in a mortar. Pound them altogether with a pestle
to a fine paste. Add the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and 1/4
cup of water. Stir to blend. Alternatively, combine all the
ingredients in a blender or food processor and process for 30
seconds, or until the sugar dissolves.
go to recipes page 2...
