Vietnamese Food

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » March 23, 2004, 4:20 pm

I'm looking for a recipe for the sauce that is usually served with Vietnamese vermicelli dishes. Its has no thickness (like water), sort of sweet tasting, usually has bits of shredded carrot and minced garlic floating in it. I don't know what its called so I don't know what to look for.

Also, if anyone has a peanut sauce recipe that they've tried and really like, I'm open for suggestions. There are a million peanut sauce recipes out there, so it's hard for me to pick one.

Oh, and if anyone has any other Vietnamese recipes that are pretty good, let me know. I LOVE Vietnamese food...especially if it involves lots of cilantro!

Swiiter · Post by **Swiiter** » March 23, 2004, 5:59 pm

It's called Nuoc Cham. Here's a recipe I found:

Nuoc Cham
Yields 1-1/2 cups.

1 clove garlic

2 to 3 Thai bird chiles (or 1 small jalapeño or serrano chile), cored,
seeded, and minced; more or less to taste

1/2 tsp. ground chile paste; more or less to taste

2/3 cup hot water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 Tbs. shredded carrots (optional)

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and fresh chiles to a paste. (Or mince them together with a knife.) In a small bowl, combine this garlic and chile mixture with the chile paste, hot water, and sugar. Stir well. Add the fish sauce and lime juice and combine. Float the carrots on top. Let sit for at least 15 min. before using.

I like adding minced shallots in addition to the carrots at the end.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » March 23, 2004, 7:04 pm

thank you!

Arundel Pajo · Post by **Arundel Pajo** » March 23, 2004, 9:04 pm

Vietnamese Spring Rolls
<ul><li>dry rice paper wraps
<li>dry mai fun (rice vermicelli, not bean threads)
<li>fresh cilantro
<li>lettuce (iceberg is traditional, I like mixed fresh field greens)
<li>fresh basil, chiffonade
<li>green onion, sliced
<li>(optional, but really fkn good) fresh mint, torn
<li>(optional) julienned carrots
<li>(optional) bean sprouts
<li>(optional) shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu, etc - I usually make veggie
</ul>

First prepare all your veggies and herbs. Lay them out separately so that they are all easily at hand, surrounding a clean work space.

Prepare the mai fun according to directions, strain into a colander, rinse with cold water to chill, and set aside with the veggies.

Prepare a water bath by filling a large skillet, baking sheet, etc. with cold water and place that next to your work space.

Submerge a wrapper in the water bath for a couple of seconds and transfer to work space. It doesn't have to be totally soft - it will continue to soak up the water on its surface, and you don't want it to get too mushy or it will break on you.

Start by placing some vermicelli on the wrapper, then some lettuce, then the other things. Put any meat on last.

Roll up tight like an eggroll. Be careful here, because the wrapper can tear. Some restaurants I have been to use two wraps per roll in order to make it easier, but I like one - it makes the roll a bit more delicate.

Traditionally, these are served with peanut sauce and sriracha chili sauce (Huy Fong makes the best sriracha - clear bottle, green spout, rooster on front).

One sorta non-traditional thing I like to do is to whip up a simple lemon-soy vinaigrette and drizzle it lightly on the roll's contents before I fold them up. I don't have measurements, as I just go by taste, but here you go:

Lemon Soy Vinaigrette
<ul><li>green onions, white part only, finely sliced
<li>fresh lemon juice
<li>soy sauce
<li>mirin
<li>olive oil
</ul>

Just wisk all those together and drizzle very lightly on your spring roll innards.

Anyway - if you make these, lemme know how they turned out!

edit-- I'm dumb. I got mixed up and put down rice wine vinegar instead of mirin for the vinaigrette. The vinegar will work, too...but it'll be a lot more tart.

Post by **Xouqoa** » March 24, 2004, 3:10 pm

spring rolls are so good.. mmmm