careful not to overfill the pot.
6 After about 10 minutes of cooking in the hotpot, diners may begin to help themselves to the food in the hot broth. Replenish with the additional ingredients as needed. A large spoon or ladle is handy for serving the broth.
Chicken, Lemongrass, and Chile Stir-Fry
Ga Xao Xa Ot
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 good-size lemongrass stalks, thick bottom part only, finely minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 to 3 red or green serrano or Thai chiles, stemmed and chopped
2 teaspoons minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon
Caramel Sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer or 4 to 6 as part of a larger meal
Found in many small restaurants around the country and on the home table, this dish is boldly flavored, and it captures the essence of Vietnamese flavors and a simple cooking method. It can also be made with pork instead of chicken. Usually served as part of an array of dishes, it also works well as the center point of a meal. Another popular way to present this recipe is to serve it along with rice paper wrappers, lettuce leaves, and fresh herbs for each diner to roll up their own wrap to be dipped in sauce.
1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wok and add the lemongrass, chiles, shallots, garlic, bell pepper, and onion; stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and continue stir-frying until it begins to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Caramel Sauce and fish sauce, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more to coat the chicken with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Seafood Dishes
With over 1,200 miles of coastline and hundreds of rivers and even more lakes and ponds, Vietnam is a treasure of great seafood. Ingredients from the sea are featured in a huge number of Vietnamese recipes, and seafood often makes its way into dishes that center around land-based ingredients too. The Vietnamese are almost fanatical about the freshness of their seafood. Many sea creatures are still alive and swimming moments before they are cooked. Some of the harder-to-come-by seafood items may be available at Asian markets; otherwise, substitution is always an acceptable option. Just make sure that it is as fresh as can be for the best authentic results.
Grilled Fish Hanoi-Style with Rice Noodles and Herbs
Cha Ca Hanoi
Marinade
2 teaspoons juice from fresh galangal or gingerroot, or 1 teaspoon dried galangal powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon Vietnamese shrimp paste, or 2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds catfish, halibut, tilapia, sea bass, or other mild yet firm fish fillets
12 to 16 ounces dried vermicelli or other rice noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
2 cups chopped fresh dill tops (1-1/2-inch pieces)
Dash of salt
Handful of chives, or 4 scallions (green parts only)
Fresh herbs (Asian basil, mint, cilantro, sorrel, Vietnamese coriander, etc.)
Tender lettuce leaves (butter, red or green leaf lettuce, etc.)
1 cup
Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
with 2 teaspoons sugar added
Serves 4 to 6
This dish is named after the restaurant in Hanoi that first popularized this method, Cha Ca la Vong. However, I learned this recipe from my friend Khai Binh, the chef of his family’s Dzoan Restaurant in Saigon. The original recipe calls for sour rice, a fermented concoction that takes several weeks to prepare, but plain yogurt works well. The classic method of serving this dish is to first grill the fish, then place it in a skillet on a tabletop burner and cook it again with dill and chives or scallions. Here,
6 After about 10 minutes of cooking in the hotpot, diners may begin to help themselves to the food in the hot broth. Replenish with the additional ingredients as needed. A large spoon or ladle is handy for serving the broth.
Chicken, Lemongrass, and Chile Stir-Fry
Ga Xao Xa Ot
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 good-size lemongrass stalks, thick bottom part only, finely minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 to 3 red or green serrano or Thai chiles, stemmed and chopped
2 teaspoons minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon
Caramel Sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer or 4 to 6 as part of a larger meal
Found in many small restaurants around the country and on the home table, this dish is boldly flavored, and it captures the essence of Vietnamese flavors and a simple cooking method. It can also be made with pork instead of chicken. Usually served as part of an array of dishes, it also works well as the center point of a meal. Another popular way to present this recipe is to serve it along with rice paper wrappers, lettuce leaves, and fresh herbs for each diner to roll up their own wrap to be dipped in sauce.
1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wok and add the lemongrass, chiles, shallots, garlic, bell pepper, and onion; stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and continue stir-frying until it begins to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Caramel Sauce and fish sauce, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more to coat the chicken with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Seafood Dishes
With over 1,200 miles of coastline and hundreds of rivers and even more lakes and ponds, Vietnam is a treasure of great seafood. Ingredients from the sea are featured in a huge number of Vietnamese recipes, and seafood often makes its way into dishes that center around land-based ingredients too. The Vietnamese are almost fanatical about the freshness of their seafood. Many sea creatures are still alive and swimming moments before they are cooked. Some of the harder-to-come-by seafood items may be available at Asian markets; otherwise, substitution is always an acceptable option. Just make sure that it is as fresh as can be for the best authentic results.
Grilled Fish Hanoi-Style with Rice Noodles and Herbs
Cha Ca Hanoi
Marinade
2 teaspoons juice from fresh galangal or gingerroot, or 1 teaspoon dried galangal powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon Vietnamese shrimp paste, or 2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds catfish, halibut, tilapia, sea bass, or other mild yet firm fish fillets
12 to 16 ounces dried vermicelli or other rice noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
2 cups chopped fresh dill tops (1-1/2-inch pieces)
Dash of salt
Handful of chives, or 4 scallions (green parts only)
Fresh herbs (Asian basil, mint, cilantro, sorrel, Vietnamese coriander, etc.)
Tender lettuce leaves (butter, red or green leaf lettuce, etc.)
1 cup
Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
with 2 teaspoons sugar added
Serves 4 to 6
This dish is named after the restaurant in Hanoi that first popularized this method, Cha Ca la Vong. However, I learned this recipe from my friend Khai Binh, the chef of his family’s Dzoan Restaurant in Saigon. The original recipe calls for sour rice, a fermented concoction that takes several weeks to prepare, but plain yogurt works well. The classic method of serving this dish is to first grill the fish, then place it in a skillet on a tabletop burner and cook it again with dill and chives or scallions. Here,
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