Voyage to Vietnam

After a scheduling snafu (Tim and I take full responsibility) and deep frying calamari panic, we pulled off our Vietnamese meet-up without further drama and relative delicious success.

ps. note to self (next meet-up is January 2nd, repeat next meet-up is January 2nd...repeat) :)

Muc Rang Muoi (salt and pepper calamari)

Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls)

Beef Pho Noodle Soup

Banana Fosters, Toasted Coconut Ice Cream, Coffee Jelly (Thạch Cà Phê)

Pho Phundamentals and Calamari

In light of the fact that we only had one week before the next meeting, we decided to get on testing the pho dish before we had the meeting.

We went to Ranch 99 to get all of the ingredients. They had nice beef leg soup bones already in packages. We also got some beef flank for the cooked meat, and ready-sliced eye of round (they had them in packages for hot-pot) for the raw meat.

We parboiled the beef bones for 6 minutes.

At the same time, we charred the ginger and onions.

Once the bones were initially boiled, we took out the bones and washed the pot. This is when we realized that our pot was not big enough for the 6 quarts of water needed. So Andrew ran out to buy a new stock pot from the Marina Market.

Nice new stock pot, 20 qt capacity outta do the job. We were good to go with the spices and fish sauce. Actually it's amazing to me that this was practically all you needed for the broth. It was soooo fragrant while the broth simmered.


We let the stock simmer for 4 hours. After which, we strained the broth and then refrigerated it. The next morning the broth had a nice layer of fat on top which we took off with a slotted spoon.

Before we served, we re-boiled the broth and got all of the other ingredients ready in the bowls. We also added a lot more salt, another tablespoon of fish sauce and another half lump of rock sugar, to bring the stock to "a bit on the strong side" for seasoning, as the recipe suggested.

The pho turned out pretty good. We were surprised it tasted like pho, since the stock by itself smelled very anise-y, and we thought it'd never taste like the restaurant soup. But with all the ingredients together it indeed was a nice bowl of noodle soup. We also felt free to drink the broth since we knew there was only good stuff in there.

For appetizer, we decided to try the Salt and Pepper Calamari. We got the calamari and five-spice from whole foods, and proceeded to cut and batter it up.

We then made the spice mixture. But cut back a bit on the five-spice since it smelled very strong.

The recipe was a bit confusing at this point. It seemed like calamari should be deep fried until crispy, like many calamari appetizers elsewhere. However the recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of oil, which seems nowhere enough. We went ahead and followed the recipe anyway, but as a result ended up with something more like stir-fried calamari. However, the batter did not work well in stir-fry mode, and we ended up with a bit of a clump of calamari and spices all together. We think that next time will definitely dis-regard the recipe and deep-fry everything with more oil (like salt-pepper chicken style).

3rd Course: Pho Bo (Beef Pho Noodle Soup)

Who doesn't love noodles soup? In the Vietnamese repertoire, beef pho noodle soup is a classic. In fact, it's practically the national dish of Vietnam. Below is my family's recipe for the quintessential Vietnamese food -- pho noodle soup. You may have had bowls of pho in Vietnamese noodle shops, in Vietnam and abroad. but have you made some yourself? Before leaping into this beef pho noodle soup recipe, check out Pho Secrets and Techniques post for a primer on bones, charring the onion, saving some fat, etc. Also, read about the history and evolution of pho in Vietnam and America. Making pho noodle soup takes time but most of it is passive cooking. And remember, you can freeze pho broth for future bowls of steamy hot pho noodle soup!

If beef isn't your thing, then take a look at the chicken pho noodle soup.

Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe (Pho bo)

Makes 8 satisfying (American-sized) bowls

For the broth:
2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound total)
4-inch piece ginger (about 4 ounces)
5-6 pounds beef soup bones (marrow and knuckle bones)
5 star anise (40 star points total)
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 pound piece of beef chuck, rump, brisket or cross rib roast, cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces (weight after trimming)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ounce (1-inch chunk) yellow rock sugar (duong phen; see Note)

For the bowls:
1 1/2-2 pounds small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles ("rice sticks'' or Thai chantaboon)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, left to soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (ngo)
Ground black pepper

Optional garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table:
Sprigs of spearmint (hung lui) and Asian/Thai basil (hung que)
Leaves of thorny cilantro (ngo gai)
Bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
Red hot chiles (such as Thai bird or dragon), thinly sliced
Lime wedges

Prepare the pho broth:

Char onion and ginger. Use an open flame on grill or gas stove. Place onions and ginger on cooking grate and let skin burn. (If using stove, turn on exhaust fan and open a window.) After about 15 minutes, they will soften and become sweetly fragrant. Use tongs to occasionally rotate them and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin. You do not have to blacken entire surface, just enough to slightly cook onion and ginger.

Let cool. Under warm water, remove charred onion skin; trim and discard blackened parts of root or stem ends. If ginger skin is puckered and blistered, smash ginger with flat side of knife to loosen flesh from skin. Otherwise, use sharp paring knife to remove skin, running ginger under warm water to wash off blackened bits. Set aside.

Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot.

Simmer broth. Add 6 quarts water to pot, bring to boil over high heat, then lower flame to gently simmer. Use ladle to skim any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining broth ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Boneless meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. When it is cooked to your liking, remove it and place in bowl of cold water for 10 minutes; this prevents the meat from drying up and turning dark as it cools. Drain the meat; cool, then refrigerate. Allow broth to continue cooking; in total, the broth should simmer 3 hours.

Strain the pho broth through fine strainer. If desired, remove any bits of gelatinous tendon from bones to add to your pho bowl. Store tendon with cooked beef. Discard solids.

Use ladle to skim as much fat from top of the pho broth as you like. (Cool it and refrigerate it overnight to make this task easier; reheat befofe continuing.) Taste and adjust flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and yellow rock sugar. The pho broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (If you've gone too far, add water to dilute.) Makes about 4 quarts.

Assemble pho bowls:

The key is to be organized and have everything ready to go. Thinly slice cooked meat. For best results, make sure it's cold.

Heat the pho broth and ready the noodles. To ensure good timing, reheat broth over medium flame as you're assembling bowls. If you're using dried noodles, cover with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white. Drain in colander. For fresh rice noodles, just untangle and briefly rinse in a colander with cold water.

Blanch noodles. Fill 3- or 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to boil. For each bowl, use long-handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. As soon as noodles have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10-20 seconds), pull strainer from water, letting water drain back into saucepan. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of bowl; the latter is for noodle lovers, while the former is for those who prize broth.

If desired, after blanching noodles, blanch bean sprouts for 30 seconds in same saucepan. They should slightly wilt but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnish plate.

Add other ingredients. Place slices of cooked meat, raw meat and tendon (if using) atop noodles. (If your cooked meat is not at room temperature, blanch slices for few seconds in hot water from above.) Garnish with onion, scallion and chopped cilantro. Finish with black pepper.

Ladle in broth and serve. Bring broth to rolling boil. Check seasoning. Ladle broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid evenly so as to cook raw beef and warm other ingredients. Serve your pho with with the garnish plate.

Note: Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer.

Variations: If you want to replicate the splendorous options available at pho shops, head to the butcher counter at a Vietnamese or Chinese market. There you'll find white cords of gan (beef tendon) and thin pieces of nam (outside flank, not flank steak). While tendon requires no preparation prior to cooking, nam should be rolled and tied with string for easy handling. Simmer it and the beef tendon in the cooking broth for two hours, or until chewy-tender.

Airy book tripe (sach) is already cooked when you buy it. Before using, wash and gently squeeze it dry. Slice it thinly to make fringe-like pieces to be added to the bowl during assembly. For beef meatballs (bo vien), purchase them in Asian markets in the refrigerator case; they are already precooked. Slice each one in half and drop into broth to heat through. When you're ready to serve, ladle them out with the broth to top each bowl.

Other pho recipes to explore:

Chicken pho (on this blog)
Chef Didier Corlou's (Hanoi pho seminar booklet)
Food writer Nicole Routhier's (RecipeSource.com)
Chef Emeril Lagasse's (Food Network)
30-minute version (Food Network, Gourmet)
Viet restaurateur Ha Guthrie's recipe (Spicelines.com blog)

Washoku Meet-Up

Sorry this post is a bit behind, next time I'll save a placeholder.

The pictures below plus more of the babies can be found here at Washoku pictures.

Full Kitchen

shrimp tempura
First Course - pureed corn soup, shrimp tempura, and nigri sushi

Second Course - sesame tofu

Pickled cabbage and seaweed side dishes

Third Course (Entree) - miso salmon, miso soup, rice, side dishes

Fourth Course (dessert) - Zensai Parfait

Sous chefs in the making

First course - Muc Rang Muoi (salt and pepper calamari)

Who doesn't like fried calamari? Since there is already a rice roll type of dish for the 2nd course we wanted to either do a salad or something fried (typical in Vietnamese appetizers). We decided to try this version of Vietnamese style fried calamari.

Note the recipe is in grams so it is helpful to get a kitchen digital scale which can be found cheaply in many places. If you don't already have one, a scale makes weighing ingredients so much more easier. It's the only way the pros cook (and bake!) :)

Recipe here:

http://www.vietnamese-recipes.com/vietnamese-recipes/seafood/salt-and-pepper-calamari.php

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.