2nd Course: Banh Cuon

Banh Cuon is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. Traditionally, these are steamed in a special pot lined with cloth, but this version is a more accessible and popular method used in home kitchens. This recipe is from Mai Ham’s Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. -- Lee

Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls) -- stovetop method

Batter

• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon begetable oil

• plus extra for cooking and oiling sheet

Filling

• 1chopped
• 1/2 pound minced raw shrimp or ground pork
• 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons dried wood-ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, drained, chewy centers removed and finely
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Garnishes

• 3 cups bean sprouts, blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds
• 1/3 cup green perilla or red perilla (shiso), or mint leaves, cut in thirds
• 1/3 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in thirds
• 1/4 cup fried shallots
• 1 1/4 cups Light Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

1. Make the batter: Combine the rice flour, potato starch, water, salt and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and whisk until smooth. (The batter will be thin and watery.) Strain to remove any lumps and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling: Placce the 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and heat over moderate heat. Add the shallots and stir for 10 seconds. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onion bits are translucent and soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper and stir until the shrimp turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Oil a cookie sheet and place it near the stove. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in an 8-inch nonstick pan over low heat. Use a paper towel or brush to distribute the oil evenly. Stir the batter thoroughly and ladle 2 1/2 tablespoons into the pan. Quickly swirl the pan so the batter completely covers the surface. The batter should set immediately upon contact. If it sizzles and develops bubbles beyond the edges, reduce the heat slightly and start again. Cover and cook until the rice sheet pulls away from the pan, 30 to 40 seconds. Invert the pan over the oiled cookie sheet and tap lightly to loosen the rice sheet. Rice flour settles to the bottom readily so it’s important to stir the batter vigorously before making each rice sheet. Also allow the pan to reheat for at least 1 minute between making a new rice sheet. Repeat until you have used up the batter. Do not stack the sheets. (After you get the hang of it, you may want to use two pans to expedite the process.) Let the rice sheets cool for 30 seconds, then proceed to stuff them.
4. To make the rolls, make a 1-inch fold from the bottom of the rice sheet and neatly place 1 1/2 teaspoons filling on top. Fold the sides over and roll into a cylinder about 2 1/2 inches long and 2/3 inch wide. Banh cuon can be made in advance up to this pint and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.
5. To serve, divide the rice rolls among 4 plates. Top each plate with one-quarter of the bean sprouts and herbs, then garnish with fried shallots. Invite guests to drizzle several tablespoons of sauce on top before eating.

Bananas Foster: A Vietnamese Variation

Created at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, this classic dessert was named after loyal customer, Richard Foster, who served with Owen Edward Brennan on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen. Little did anyone realize that Bananas Foster would become an international favorite and is the most requested item on the restaurant's menu. Thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas are flamed each year at Brennan's in the preparation of its world-famous dessert.

In the traditional recipe, firm, ripe bananas are sautéed in a rum-infused caramel sauce, then flambéed in front of diners and spooned over vanilla ice cream. For our Vietnamese variation, we'll be pairing the bananas and rum-infused caramel sauce with Toasted Coconut ice cream topped with whipped cream, chopped peanuts, and cubed, Vietnamese Coffee Jelly.

Suggested Pairing:
Moscato d'Asti, Asti Spumante, Late Harvest Riesling, Sherry, Tawny Port, Madeira

Bananas Foster
Serving Size: 4 servings

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup banana liqueur
• 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
• Coffee Jelly Cubes
• Chopped Peanuts for topping
• Whipped Cream for topping

Preparation:

1. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet.
2. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.
4. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum.
5. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum (Note: for extra pyrotechnics, throw a pinch of cinnamon onto the sauce as it flames.)
6. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and pair two pieces with each portion of ice cream.
7. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream, top with whipped cream, peanuts, and coffee jelly and serve immediately

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream (Kem Nước Cốt Dừa)
Serving Size: 1 pint

• 1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Big pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon rum

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove it from the oven when it’s nice and fragrant and golden brown.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, and salt and add the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife and scrape all the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the pod as well. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Rewarm the coconut-infused mixture. Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan. Press down on the coconut very firmly with a flexible rubber spatula to extract as much of the flavor from it as possible. Remove the vanilla bean halves (rinse and reserve them for another use), and discard the coconut.
4. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir over an ice bath until cool.
6. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Coffee Jelly (Thạch Cà Phê)
Serving Size: 4 servings

• 2 cups Vietnamese coffee
• 1 tablespoon gelatin powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
  

Preparation:

1. Mix the gelatin powder and the water in a small cup.
2. Put the coffee, sugar, and the gelatin in a sauce pan.
3. Stir well over low heat until the sugar and gelatin dissolve.
4. Strain the mixture and pour into ice cube trays or a square container (if used for a topping) or serving cups if the jelly will be served directly from the container.
   
5. Cool the jelly in the refrigerator until it is set.
6. Serve by cutting into smaller cubes if used for a topping or directly from the container topped with whipped cream or condensed milk.

Recipe Sources:
Brennan's New Orleans, by Chef Paul Blangé
The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
About.com Recipes, by Setsuko Yoshizuka

Additional Resources:

• A Very Different Kind of Coffee Cake, Salon Magazine
  
• High-Tech Vietnamese Coffee, VietWorld Kitchen
• 100 Vietnamese Foods to Try, Wandering Chopsticks
• Vietnamese Recipes, Wandering Chopsticks