Tôm Rang Muối - Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Presented here with just the fried garlic

Difficulty: Hooker Easy

In the picture above, it is hybrid of the Chinese and Vietnamese version.  I copied The Yummy House version with using a  wheat starch to help the shrimp get a nice crunch to it.  Normally the shrimp is left intact, with the pointy part of the head and tail snipped off and the legs trimmed.  Since my son loves shrimp, I made this recipe without the shell and head.

1/2 lb large shrimp, headless, peeled and deveined, with tail on
wheat starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
oil for frying

optional:

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch of dried pepper flakes

Wash the shrimp in really cold water.  Add ice to tighten up the shrimp.  While the shrimp is sitting on ice, mix together the wheat starch, salt, and pepper.  Coat each shrimp with the dry mixture.  (If you want a thick coating, dip the shrimp in an egg white wash before the wheat starch coating.)  Allow the shrimp to sit in the wheat starch mixture while you heat up a 1-qt (or slightly larger) saucepan with some oil.  You want enough oil to at least come half way up the shrimp when you cook them.  You want the oil to be hot when you start frying, otherwise your food will be greasy.  Fry the shrimp about 2-3 minutes on each side.  You looking for a nice golden color.  Placed them on paper to blot off the excess oil.

In a pan, heat up 1 tsp of oil.  Add the minced garlic, and chopped cilantro.  Stir well until the two have a very nice fragrance.  Add the pinch of pepper flakes.  Toss in the shrimp at the end.

Sườn Rim Mặn - Caramelized ribs

Difficulty: Easy to Medium (Easy if you have the butcher do all the cutting)

Cooking on the bone has a way of imparting flavor.  The fat molecules that is inside of the bones is released into the meat when it is cooking.  This dish is one of my family's favorite and it can be a very inexpensive dish to make.  The suon dish was part of my rack of rib challenge, where I attempted to see how many different dishes I can make with one rack of ribs. (I will post more about that later.)

You can buy ribs already prepared for you at the Asian market.  It is often called Hong Kong style ribs.  I also get my local grocery store butcher to saw it across the bone and cut them into small pieces when I get home.  If you have a heavy clever at home, you can also cut them into small pieces yourself (like I choose to do on the day I made this dish.)

1 lb ribs
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small shallot minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp water

First you want to marinade the ribs with the minced garlic and shallots.  Set aside for 15 mins.

Let's make the caramel sauce.  Heat a pan or wok with enough oil to cover the bottom.  Add the sugar and watch for the sugar to develop color.

When the sugar get to a dark brown color, add the ribs in and stir to evenly coat the ribs with the caramel. Brown the ribs for about 5 minutes.  Add the salt, pepper and water.  Cover and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes.  The ribs will be cook when you see the meat pull from the bone, as pictured.  Add your fish sauce.  Stir in well and taste to adjust with more sugar or fish sauce.

Most Vietnamese families will dress this dish with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.  The caramel sauce goes well with them.

Canh Chua Gà - Tamarind Soup with Chicken

Difficulty: Hard (knife work) 

This is my absolute favorite canh recipe.  My 10 month old nephew and 3 year old son loves this canh too.  It has a lot of fruits and vegetables in it.  You can mix and match different combination to get the flavor profile you like.  The recipe I am sharing with you is my way of doing it.  There are many different variations and they differ from region to region, country to country.

It is very similar to the Thai tom yum soup.  I am unsure of the origin of this soup but I think I can safely speculate that the Vietnamese immigrants introduce this dish to Thailand.  Pad Thai and fish sauce is so common in Thai cuisine and you can thank the Vietnamese immigrants.

3 qts water
20 okra cut into 1 inch segments
3 organic tomatoes cut into wedges
1/2 lb bean sprouts
3-5 stems bac ha/alocasia odora/taro stem or celery sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 whole fresh pineapple cut into chunks (please avoid Del Monte Fresh brand, it's a GMO)
1 Tbsp tamarind powder
4-5 cloves garlic smashed and minced
1 medium shallot minced
3 sprigs ngo om/rice paddy herb
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 lb chicken, catfish, salmon
2 tbsp oil like peanut, vegetable, canola (I use peanut because it isn't a GMO)
1 stalk chopped green onion
5 sprigs chopped cilantro

Heat up a large stock pot, at least 5 qts, with the water.  In another pot, heat up water to a rolling boil to parboil your choice of protein.  Allow the protein to boil for at least 3 minutes.  Remove the protein and rinse under cold water to remove any foam or impurities (especially with the chicken) and place it into your cooking pot.  Add the pineapple chunks to tenderize the protein.  Add the tamarind powder and simmer for 15 minutes for the chicken or 10 minutes for the fish.

While the protein is cooking, heat up a small sauce pan with 2 tbsp of oil.  Add the garlic and shallots.  Sauteed until you achieve a nice golden brown color to them, usually 2-3 minutes.  Set aside, off the heat.

Add the okra into the stockpot after the 10 or 15 minute mark, depending on your protein selection.  Allow to cook for about 2 minutes before adding the bean sprouts and tomatoes.  Simmer for another 2 minutes and add the fish sauce.  Spoon the fried onion and garlic oil into the pot and stir well.  Add the rice paddy herb leaves, chopped onions and cilantro.  Adjust to your taste by adding more fish sauce.

The soup should have texture to it.  The sprouts should still have a bite even though it is wilted.  The bac ha or celery should be soft and almost spongy like.  The tomatoes should still have it shape but soft. The orka should be soft but not mushy.

Nui Gà - Chicken Noodle Soup - Nouilles avec poulet

Difficulty: Easy

My 3 year old son loves nui ga, more so when mommy makes it.  It is one of his favorite dish.  This French influenced dish is a wonderful one pot meal and it can freeze easily.  I used orzo in this dish, which "bloomed" from sitting in the broth, making it a hit with many small children.

1 cup orzo
2 qt water
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups diced carrots small optional
1/2 lb ground or sliced thinly pork or chicken
2 stalks green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp mushroom seasoning optional
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/4 cup minced onions

Heat up a large stock pot and add oil to cover the bottom.  Have your meat mixture nearby before you put the garlic in the pot.  Saute the garlic until a light brown color then add your meat.  Brown the meat to bring some color.  Add your minced onion, bouillon powder, mushroom seasoning, and carrots. Add your water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat so you don't have a hard boil.  Skim off any foam that rises to the top, to ensure you have a clear broth.  Add orzo and cook until it is soft.  Add fish sauce and turn off heat.  Add the chopped onions and cilantro and taste.  Adjust with more fish sauce if too bland.

Gà Kho Xốt Đậu Đen - Chicken with fermented chili black bean sauce

Difficulty: Easy

When I was in college, I was introduced to dim sum.  One of my favorite little dim sum dish was the steamed ribs with black bean.  The salty fermented taste of the black beans was very pleasant to my palate and I wanted to replicated it but had no idea where to start.  I stumbled on a prepared jar of black beans and came up with this dish.  Kho is better know in the western world as braising, a French cooking technique.  You would cook/sear the meat at a high heat and then you simmer in a liquid.  This dish is served over rice with a platter of sliced cucumbers, tomato, lettuce/leafy herbs.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp oyster sauce or XO sauce

1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning

2 cloves garlic minced finely

1 stalk green onions cut

1 tsp of fish sauce

1.5 tsp chili black bean sauce

2 tbsp of water or chicken broth

Lee Kum Kee Brand is the best of all that I have tried.

Prepare chicken by cutting it into bite size pieces and set aside.  In a pan, heat up enough oil to cover the bottom.  Make sure the chicken is close by before you brown the garlic.  When the garlic is a light golden color, add the chicken and saute with mushroom seasoning, salt and pepper.  When you chicken is browned, add the water or broth and cover. Cook on a medium heat until the chicken has tighten up, usually about 7-10 minutes.  Remember to stir occasionally.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 additional minutes or until it is tender to your liking.  Add the oyster sauce, chili black bean sauce (picture of the jar below), and fish sauce.  Taste and adjust to your liking.  You can add 1/4 tsp of sugar if you find it too salty or one dimensional.  Finish the dish with the green onion.