Vietnamese Food Any Day

Shaking Beef and Easy Soy Sauce-Glazed Zucchini. Both winners! I'll be adding these and many more of Andrea Nguyen’s Eien crafted recipes to my weeknight repertoire.” MOLLY STEVENS, author of All About Roasting and All About Braising VA “Andrea Nguyen is a masterful and irrepressible guide to Vietnam's cuisine and culture. Vietnamese Food Any Day delivers big, bold flavors translated for the American kitchen. It’s exotic simplicity at its best.” CHR!STOPHER KIMBALL, founder of Milk Street A Age mi Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/viethnamesefoodan0000nguy VIETNAMESE FOOD any day VIETNAMESE FOOD } any day Simple recipes for true, fresh flavors _ g4 Photographs by Aubrie Pick

CHICKEN AND glass noodle soup SMOKED TURKEY pho ROAST CHICKEN NOODLE soup SPICY HUE NOODLE soup 3 Slurp up these soupy ideas, which start out with everyday quickies, progress to simmered specials, and finish with comforting noodles in broth. Their built-in versatility enables you to take them in many Viet-ish directions. soups GINGERY GREENS AND Shrimp soup SERVES 4 TAKES 35 MINUTES 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil Ye medium yellow or red onion, thinly sliced 52 cups water Fine sea salt 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more as needed One 8-ounce bunch mustard greens, coarsely chopped, including tender stems 12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut crosswise into thumbnail- width chunks, or split horizontally into symmetrical halves 12 teaspoons finely chopped peeled ginger Recently ground black pepper (optional) NOTES / Part of Vietnamese everyday meals, fragrant, wholesome, and fast soups like this one are called canh. Surprisingly, they're typically made with water and rely on gently sautéed onion, salt, and fish sauce for foundational depth. What often defines canh is a ton of leafy greens, cooked in the pot to contribute their flavor and nutrients. A little protein is dropped in for savory flair. At the Viet table, canh is not just a first course—you can help yourself to it throughout a meal to refresh your palate. This nimble soup plays well with other dishes, but you can make a light meal of it too. Just add warm bread and butter. Vf In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the canola oil. When the oil is barely shimmering, add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweetly fragrant. Add the water, Ye teaspoon salt, and fish sauce, then turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a vigorous boil for 3 to 5 minutes to develop flavor. Add the greens, stirring them for even cooking. When the greens are very soft and cooked through, about 5 minutes, add the shrimp and ginger. When the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, uncovered. Taste and add additional salt or fish sauce, if needed. Serve the soup in a communal bowl or ladle into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with pepper for a final spicy burst, if you like. Instead of mustard greens, use another bold-flavored leaf, such as turnip greens or the radish tops left over from making pickles (see page 29). Opt for spinach for a milder taste, or combine complementary greens, like kale and mustard. As pictured, corkscrew-shaped shrimp result from halving them horizontally. Not fond of shrimp, or maybe it's too expensive? Use a 6-ounce fish fillet, such as tilapia or rockfish. Cut the fillet into bite-size pieces to add to the soup. 68 VIETNAMESE FOOD any day VERSATILE VEGETABLE SOUp SERVES 4 TAKES 40 MINUTES 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil Ye medium yellow or red onion, thinly sliced 1% teaspoons finely chopped peeled ginger 1 medium carrot, or 1 small sweet potato, cut into thumbnail-size chunks 1 large celery stalk, sliced 2%e cups bean sprouts or ribbons of pinkie-length napa or green cabbage leaves 4 ounces fresh shiitake or white mushrooms, stems included, thickly sliced Fine sea salt 1 teaspoon fish sauce, or 1Ye teaspoons soy sauce, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or Maggi Seasoning sauce, plus more as needed 4’ cups water 2 handfuls chopped kale or spinach 1 thinly sliced green onion, white part only, or 1 garlic clove, minced Ya cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, dill, or basil, or any combination Recently ground black pepper, chile garlic sauce (see page 31), or sambal oelek for garnish 70 When I'm lazy and want to eat light, I make this vegetable-laden soup. I serve it with rice, a quick protein—which may or may not involve meat—and if available, pickled daikon and carrot (see page 29). Vegetables are the stars here, so there’s no need to prepare a separate vegetable side dish. The soup looks like a Western-style soup, but I apply my Vietnamese canh (quick soup) blueprint: Cook the aromatics, add water and seasonings, and simmer with the main ingredients to make a multi- dimensional broth. Lots of greens and herbs added at the end inject bright, fresh flavor. The flavors concentrate and develop during the final resting period, so be patient before serving. Whole leaves of baby kale, spinach, and/or chard can stand in for the chopped leafy greens. i, In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the canola oil. When the oil is barely shimmering, add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the carrot, celery, bean sprouts, and mushrooms; toss in °/ tea- spoon salt and the fish sauce; and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes to develop flavor and warm up. Pour in the water, partially cover, and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, uncovered, at a vigorous simmer for 15 minutes. Increase the heat to return to a boil, and add the kale. When just cooked through, about 1 minute, turn off the heat and stir in the green onion. Let the soup rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then taste and, if needed, add more salt or fish sauce. (Splash in water if you've gone too far or if the soup isn't brothy enough for you.) Ladle the soup into individual bowls and divide the herbs among them. Sprinkle on some pepper or plop ina little chile sauce for lively heat, and serve. VIETNAMESE FooD any day SUPER-SIMPLE overnight rice porridge SERVES 4 TAKES 30 MINUTES,

Green Mango, Cabbage, and Jicama Salad (page 163) with a potato salad for a summertime meal. A handful of recipes are one-dish wonders, such as Grilled Trout Rice Paper Rolls (page 119) and a Rice Noodle Salad Bowl (page 197), that may play the starring role of a fun brunch, lunch, or dinner. The savory snacks can plug into a nosh session or cocktail party. And the sweets are great for an afternoon tea break or post- dinner treat. This collection of recipes is built for versatility and creativity. When cook- ing and eating in our American home, my family often enjoys cross-cultural menus. You should too. How to use recipes like a pro Using a recipe well does not require following it slavishly but rather thought- fully interpreting it for your situation. A recipe is like a roadmap filled with signposts to guide you on a culinary journey. You may make a wrong turn or elect to take a detour, but you'll arrive at your destination and create your own personal path along the way—if you keep a few things in mind. To turn my recipes into yours: ¢ Organize your work for the greatest efficiency. The list of ingredi- ents in any recipe is presented in the order in which the ingredients are used, which isn’t necessarily the most logical order of prep. For example, identify and do advance prep work, such as making stocks or sauces, boiling noodles, and washing lettuce and herbs. If you use one cutting board for all your chopping, prep the vegetables before the raw proteins to minimize mess and cross-contamination. Ingredients that will be thrown into the pan together may be kept in the same bowl. Why dirty up extra dishes? ¢ Measure your ingredients with care. Use volume and liquid measuring cups as needed and use a scale (best when baking) because it never lies. ¢ Know your burners. All the recipes in this book were developed and tested by me, and then cross-tested by an intrepid team of volunteers. We cook on home kitchen stoves. If the range was gas, the burners were between 9,000 and 12,000 BTUs. If you're cooking on burners with even more power, your cooking time may be faster than the time suggested in the recipe. Use the visual and tactile cues to guide your progress, and lower the heat as needed. * Have everything ready when fast-cooking (think stir-frying) is involved. Line up the prepped ingredients by the stove, and keep needed equipment at hand so you can flow through the motions. * The first time through, follow the recipe to understand the parameters and benchmarks. When you've adjusted it to your liking, jot down your changes. 8 VIETNAMESE FooD any day Essential equipment To make food from this book, you don’t have to outfit your kitchen with unusual gadgets. You'll employ tools and appliances such as a digital scale, food processor (small and regular size), blender, pressure cooker, and microwave oven. Along with the saucepans and skillets in the following chart, a cast-iron stove-top grill pan will also be useful, and a few recipes have you grilling outdoors. In other words, you'll be using ordinary kitchen equipment for extraordinary food.

ORANGE-RUM flan VIETNAMESE coftee 2 Whether youre in the mood for something cool, warm, fragrant, or elegant, these sweet treats have you covered. For a beverage pairing, make Vietnamese coffee. SWEETS and coftee * NO-CHURN VIETNAMESE COFFEE ice cream MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS TAKES 10 MINUTES, PLUS 5 TO 6 HOURS TO FREEZE 1’ to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Brimming 2 tablespoons instant espresso Fine sea salt 1 cup heavy whipping cream Brimming % cup full-fat sweetened condensed milk Scant 1 tablespoon molasses NOTE / What can you make from sweetened condensed milk aside from Viet coffee drinks? Ice cream! I take a no-churn approach that involves whipping up the milk, heavy cream, and flavorings until fluffy and then freezing the mix for several hours. You don't need an ice-cream maker, just an electric handheld mixer. (An immer- sion blender does not add enough air.) Instant espresso, molasses, and vanilla create a strong Vietnamese coffee flavor; brewed coffee injects too much liquid into the mixture and compromises the texture. The sea salt’s edge amplifies things. If you like, gild the lily with chocolate bits (see the Note), but this ice cream is also sensational without it. Vi. In a medium bowl, combine 1’ teaspoons of the vanilla, the espresso, and 2 pinches salt and stir to mix well; it will seem slightly sludgy. Add the cream, condensed milk, and molasses. Taste and, if you want to boost the flavor a touch, add more vanilla, /% teaspoon at a time; the amount required depends on the vanilla and your palate. An extra pinch of salt sometimes helps too. With an electric handheld mixer fitted with two beaters or a whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed for about 3 minutes, until you get a firm, spreadable texture like fluffy whipped cream or frosting. Transfer to a 3- to 4-cup storage container, cover, and freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften to a scoopable texture before serving. For coffee and chocolate ice cream, hand chop 1% ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate into very small bits so they will disperse well. After whipping up the ice-cream mixture, use a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate. Freeze as directed. Your yield will be a little more than the original recipe. 210 VIETNAMESE FOOD any day

CHURN VIETNAMESE COFFEE ice cream SILKEN TOFU AND MANDARIN ORANGES IN ginger syrup MATCHA “PANDAN” waffles BANANA-COCONUT bread-pudding cake CASHEW SESAME brittle SILKY ORANGE-RUM flan VIETNAMESE coftee 2 Whether youre in the mood for something cool, warm, fragrant, or elegant, these sweet treats have you covered. For a beverage pairing, make Vietnamese coffee. SWEETS and coftee * NO-CHURN VIETNAMESE COFFEE ice cream MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS TAKES 10 MINUTES, PLUS 5 TO 6 HOURS TO FREEZE 1’ to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Brimming 2 tablespoons instant espresso Fine sea salt 1 cup heavy whipping cream Brimming % cup full-fat sweetened condensed milk Scant 1 tablespoon molasses NOTE / What can you make from sweetened condensed milk aside from Viet coffee drinks? Ice cream! I take a no-churn approach that involves whipping up the milk, heavy cream, and flavorings until fluffy and then freezing the mix for several hours. You don't need an ice-cream maker, just an electric handheld mixer. (An immer- sion blender does not add enough air.) Instant espresso, molasses, and vanilla create a strong Vietnamese coffee flavor; brewed coffee injects too much liquid into the mixture and compromises the texture. The sea salt’s edge amplifies things. If you like, gild the lily with chocolate bits (see the Note), but this ice cream is also sensational without it. Vi. In a medium bowl, combine 1’ teaspoons of the vanilla, the espresso, and 2 pinches salt and stir to mix well; it will seem slightly sludgy. Add the cream, condensed milk, and molasses. Taste and, if you want to boost the flavor a touch, add more vanilla, /% teaspoon at a time; the amount required depends on the vanilla and your palate. An extra pinch of salt sometimes helps too. With an electric handheld mixer fitted with two beaters or a whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed for about 3 minutes, until you get a firm, spreadable texture like fluffy whipped cream or frosting. Transfer to a 3- to 4-cup storage container, cover, and freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften to a scoopable texture before serving. For coffee and chocolate ice cream, hand chop 1% ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate into very small bits so they will disperse well. After whipping up the ice-cream mixture, use a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate. Freeze as directed. Your yield will be a little more than the original recipe. 210 VIETNAMESE FOOD any day