Vietnamese Eggroll (Cha Gio)

1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound shelled shrimp or 1 can crab meat
1 small white onion
1/4 jicama
Several dried mushrooms
Pinch of bean threads
1 carrot, sliced into threads
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 egg
Dash of monosodium glutamate
1 package rice paper

Soak mushrooms to soften and then slice into threads.
Mix all
ingredients except rice paper, together thoroughly.
Dampen both
sides of rice paper for easy rolling.
Put the filling in the middle
of the rice paper and fold two opposite corners together, then roll
it.
To get a nice looking roll, you must wrap it carefully.

Warm about one inch of oil in a large fryer over high heat.
When
oil is hot, add rolls and turn heat down to medium (the oil should
just cover the rolls).
Be sure to check and turn the rolls often to
avoid overcooking.
Fry rolls until golden brown, then place on rack
to drain the excess oil.

Caramel Shrimp (Vietnam)

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 scallions (white part only), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 fresh red chile pepper, thinly sliced (optional
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 lime
Sprigs of cilantro (optional garnish)

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the oyster sauce, salt,
cayenne pepper and flour.
Set aside to marinate for 5 to 10
minutes.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, heat the oil.
Add
the garlic and cook until golden brown.
Transfer the shrimp to the
pan, discarding the marinade.
Cook the shrimp, stirring
occasionally, until they begin to turn pink.

Add the water and sugar and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the scallions and onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the chile pepper, if desired, and black pepper to taste.
Squeeze the lime juice over the top of the shrimp and transfer the
mixture to a platter.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Serve
immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Crab Noodle Soup (Vietnam)

In Vietnam and in many Vietnamese restaurants, this soup is
served with the crab ground almost to a powder or even in patties.
Serves 4 as a complete meal.

8 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups flaked crabmeat
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound rice vermicelli, cooked
1/2 head lettuce, finely shredded (Romaine
is preferable to iceberg)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 limes, quartered

Heat a large heavy pan over medium-high heat.
Sauté
the shallots in the hot oil until soft.
Add the crabmeat, tomatoes,
fish sauce, sugar and salt.
Pour in 5 cups of water.
Bring to a
boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

To serve, divide the vermicelli among 4 large individual bowls.
Ladle the soup over the noodles, and top each serving with a
handful of lettuce and bean sprouts and squeezes of lime juice.

Grilled Eggplant with Soy Sauce (Vietnamese Vegetarian
Version)

2 Asian eggplants (long and thin,
but not baby eggplants)
4 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Prick the eggplants in several places with a fork, then grill
over a charcoal or gas grill for about 20 minutes or until the
flesh is soft but before the skin burns.
Remove them from the
grill.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them in
half lengthwise.
Put the scallions into a bowl.
Heat the oil in a
pan until very hot, then pour it over the scallions.
Drain them
immediately.
Sprinkle the scallions over the eggplants, then gently
pour the soy and fish sauces on top.

Grilled Prawns (Vietnam)

1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp or king prawns
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Mix the onion and garlic with peanut oil.
Add the prawns and
toss to coat.
Leave to marinate for at least three hours or
overnight.

Grill the prawns or broil them for about 5 minutes, turning
once.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the sauce
and pour it into a small sauce bowl, placed at the center of the
platter of prawns.

Serves 4.

Grilled Five-Spice Chicken

Source: Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table - Mai Pham

Makes 4 servings

1 (2 1/2 pound) whole chicken, preferably free range, rinsed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
4 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes,
pounded or ground into a fine powder
1/2 cup Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Cut the chicken into 6 pieces and make 1 or 2 slashes in each
piece for faster cooking.
Trim and discard any excess fat.
Pat the
chicken dry.

In a bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar,
turmeric, five-spice powder and salt.
Stir well to blend.
Add the
chicken pieces and turn several times to coat them evenly.
Marinate
in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Start a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to moderate heat.
(You can also use a broiler.) Thirty minutes before cooking, add
the freshly toasted star anise powder to the marinated chicken,
turning so the meat is coated evenly.

Place the chicken, skin side up, on the grill.
Cook 10 minutes,
then turn over and grill until the chicken is cooked and the juices
run clear, another 10 minutes, depending on the thickness.
While
grilling, move the chicken pieces around so that they cook evenly.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the
dipping sauce.

Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 clove garlic
1 fresh Thai bird chile
1 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/6 cup soy sauce, preferably Chinese style
1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp
1/8 cup water, or to taste

Place the garlic, chile and sugar in a mortar and pound into a
paste.
(You can also chop the garlic and chile by hand.) Transfer
to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water.
Stir
until well blended.
This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in
the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.