Braised Fish in Caramel Sauce
(Ca Kho To)
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 pounds mackerel or eel, bone-in, about one-inch thick steaks
coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon thick soy sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
6 ounces daikon, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 scallions, trimmed, cut into
1-1/2-inch-long pieces and quartered lengthwise
3 dried red chilies or 2 more bird's eye or Thai chilies
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and julienne
Preparation: Season the fish steaks
with salt and pepper on both sides.
Make a caramel by combining the sugar and 2
tablespoons water in a large sand pot or heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-low heat. When the sugar melts and turns golden, about 10
minutes, remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup water,
thick soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Reduce the heat to low and add the daikon,
garlic, scallions, chilies, and fish steaks. Cover and simmer
until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over
high heat and stir-fry the ginger until golden crisp, about 2
minutes. Transfer the braised fish to a serving platter and
scatter the ginger over it. Serve with jasmine rice on the side.
Sour Shrimp Soup
(Canh Chua Tom)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup canned straw mushrooms
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined, heads and shells
reserved 3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves and tough green tops
removed, root ends trimmed, and stalks lightly crushed
3 dried red chilies
3 lime leaves or peel
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce coarse sea salt freshly ground white pepper
1 medium ripe tomato, cut into 8 equal wedges
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
1/3 cup julienne holy basil
1/4 cup fried garlic oil, variation
Preparation: Bring a pot of water to
a boil over high heat. Drain and rinsed the mushrooms, then
blanch them in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain once again.
Place the shrimp heads and shells in a pot
with 7 cups water and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is
reduced by 1 cup, about 30 minutes.
Stain the shrimp stock through a sieve over
a pot, pressing the shells to extract any juices. Discard the
shells and add the lemongrass, chilies, lime leaves, lime juice,
and fish sauce to the stock. Seasoning to taste with salt and
pepper and simmer the stock, partially covered, over low heat
for 15 minutes.
Add the straw mushrooms and tomato wedges
and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook
until opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve hot-in a communal bowl or individual
soup bowls-garnished with scallion, bean sprouts, holy basil,
and fried garlic oil.
Rice Noodle Soup with Seafood
(Hu Tieu Do Bien)
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh thin flat egg noodles
or 8 ounces dried thin flat egg noodles
or 8 ounces small or medium dried rice sticks
8 cups pork stock made with squid
8 ounces pork tenderloin
12 medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined
12 fish quenelles traditional herbs
1 cup bean sprouts, root ends trimmed
2 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 or more bird's eye or Thai chilies, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fried garlic oil, variation
1 lime, quartered, fish sauce
Preparation: If using, place the
dried egg noodles or rice sticks in a dish with lukewarm water
to cover. Let stand until pliable, about 20 minutes.
Pour the pork stock into a pot and bring to
a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low,
add the pork tender-loin, and cook through at a simmer, about 20
to 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and
continue simmering the broth, partially covered. When cool
enough to handle, thinly slice the pork, place it in a bowl, and
cover with plastic wrap.
Bring a pot filled with water to a boil
over high heat. Divide the egg noodles or rice sticks into 4
equal portions. Place one portion at a time in a sieve and lower
it into the boiling water.
Untangle the rice sticks or egg noodles
with chopsticks and boil until tender but firm, about 7 seconds
for the rice sticks, and 1 to 2 minutes for egg noodles. If
using fresh egg noodles, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove, drain, and place in a large soup
bowl. Repeat this step until you have 4 individual servings.
Cook the shrimp in the same pot of boiling
water until it turns opaque, about 1 minute. Drain and place
atop the 4 servings of rice sticks or egg noodles along with
slices of pork tenderloin.
Add the fish quenelles to the pork stock
and cook for 3 minutes. Pour a generous amount of hot broth,
along with an equal amount of fish quenelles, over each serving
and garnish with some traditional herbs, bean sprouts,
scallions, chilies, and fried garlic oil. Squeeze a wedge of
lime over each serving and adjust seasoning with fish sauce.
Me...Paris and PWJ
