Shrimp in Caramel Sauce (Tôm Kho -
Vietnamese)

Source: Los Angeles Times - February 6, 2002

The onions should practically disintegrate into the sauce.
Adding the oil at the end lends a bit of extra richness;
traditionally more lard or oil was added than prescribed here to
also give an appetizing sheen to the shrimp.

1 1/2 pounds (31-40 count) medium shrimp,
peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons Caramel Sauce (in this section)
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 green onion, green tops only, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving

Place the shrimp, salt, fish sauce and Caramel Sauce into a
shallow saucepan.
Bring to a vigorous simmer over high heat.
Add
the yellow onion and pepper, stirring to evenly distribute.
Continue cooking over high heat, occasionally turning the shrimp so
that they’re well coated with sauce.
They’ll curl up and release
their juices to combine with the other ingredients and concentrate
into a dark sauce.
Add a little water if things get too dry.

The shrimp are done when they’ve taken on an orange-brown color
and have a pleasant sweet chewiness, about 8 to 10 minutes after
you’ve added the onion and pepper.
There will be a few tablespoons
of sauce in the pan.
Remove from the heat, add the oil and stir to
coat the shrimp.
Scatter the green onion on top and serve with lots
of steamed rice.

4 servings

Each serving, without rice: 229 calories; 725 mg sodium; 276
mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 10 grams
carbohydrates; 31 grams protein; 0.58 gram fiber

Chicken and Ginger in Caramel Sauce (GÃ Kho -
Vietnamese)

Source: Los Angeles Times - February 6, 2002

The chicken exudes its juices during cooking, which adds extra
savoriness to the sauce.
The ginger softens and mellows, blending
in with the other ingredients while still retaining its jolting
quality.
To crush the ginger, place the flat side of a knife blade
on each slice and give the blade a firm whack with the palm of your
hand.
Crushing the ginger releases more of its juices during
cooking, thereby mitigating its bite.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled, thinly sliced into
quarter-size coins
and crushed
3 tablespoons Caramel Sauce (in this section)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, green tops only, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving

Place the chicken, ginger, Caramel Sauce, fish sauce, salt and
water into a saucepan.
Give a stir to distribute everything.
Cover
and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat.
Stir again to break
up the chicken pieces, then replace the lid.
Cook for 10 minutes,
periodically stirring to evenly expose the chicken to the sauce.
The kho will send fragrant steam out from under the lid.
The sauce
will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices.

After the 10 minutes are up, remove the lid and continue cooking
to reduce the sauce and deepen the color to a rich reddish brown,
about 5 minutes.
Replace the lid and allow it to rest for 5
minutes.
Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish
sauce, if necessary.
Garnish with the chopped green onion and serve
with plenty of rice.

4 servings

Each serving, without rice: 362 calories; 631 mg sodium; 148
mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 8 grams
carbohydrates; 41 grams protein; 0.07 gram fiber

Caramel Sauce (Nuóc Mà u -
Vietnamese)

Source: Los Angeles Times - February 6, 2002

The traditional method of making this sauce requires that you
add boiling water to the caramelized sugar, which kicks off a
dramatic reaction that’s not for the faint of heart.
The point of
doing this is to arrest the cooking process so that the sugar
doesn’t burn to a bitter black stage.
I find it easier to place the
pan bottom in a sink filled with water.
This cools the caramel down
so that when you add the remaining water, there’s little drama
left.
The result of both approaches is the same bittersweet inky
sauce that’s a staple in every Vietnamese kitchen.

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water, divided

Fill the sink with enough water to come halfway up the side of a
1-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Place the sugar and 1/4 cup of
the water into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.
Stir
until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes.
As the sugar
melts, the mixture will go from opaque to clear.
Small bubbles will
form at the edge and gradually grow larger, moving toward the
center of the pan.
Eventually, bubbles will cover the entire
surface.

After about 15 minutes, the sugar will begin to caramelize and
turn in color.
You’ll see a progression from champagne yellow to
light tea to dark tea.
When smoke starts rising, remove the
saucepan from the heat and slowly swirl it around.
Watch the sugar
closely as it will turn darker by the second; a reddish cast will
set in (think the color of a big and bold red wine) as the bubbles
become a lovely burnt orange.
Pay attention to the color of the
caramel underneath the bubbles.
When the caramel color is that of
black coffee or molasses, place the pan in the sink to stop the
cooking process.
The hot pan bottom will sizzle upon contact and
the bubble action will subside.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water (there may be a small
dramatic reaction) and place the saucepan back on the stove over
medium heat, stirring until the caramel has dissolved into the
water.
The result will be slightly viscous; flavor-wise, it will be
bittersweet.
Pour the caramel sauce into a small glass jar and let
it cool; it will thicken further.
Store indefinitely in your
kitchen cupboard.

Yield: 1 cup

Each tablespoon: 39 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat;
0 saturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber

Grape Leaf Beef (Bo Cuon La Nho)

Source: The Vietnamese Cookbook by Diana My Tran

1/2 cup lemongrass, finely minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon oil
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed and spread out
12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes
Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

Using a mini food processor, finely mince lemongrass, onion and
garlic.

In a large mixing bowl, knead together lemongrass mixture,
ground beef, salt, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, cornstarch, oil and
scallions.
Set aside for 15 minutes.

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling on each grape leaf one inch
from the edge nearest you.
Form a 2-inch-long sausage.
Fold inward
both sides of leaf, and pressing down the mixture, fold over top of
leaf and roll up.
Repeat with remaining beef mixture.
Thread three
rolls on each bamboo skewer.
Barbecue beef skewers over hot coals
or in a 400 degree F oven, turning frequently for approximately 10
minutes until cooked through.

Serve with Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce as an appetizer, or with
rice noodles as an entree.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 395 calories; 23.3 g fat (8.8 g saturated fat;
53 percent calories from fat); 13.6 g carbohydrates; 104 mg
cholesterol; 2,860 mg sodium; 31.9 g protein; 1.3 g fiber

Nuoc Cham (Vietnam)

2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small, hot, red chili pepper, seeds
and membranes removed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 fresh lime, juice and pulp only
4 tablespoons fish sauce*
2 to 4 tablespoons water, according to taste

* Also known as nuoc mam, it is available in finer supermarkets
and Asian specialty shops.

Purists insist that the garlic and chili pepper be ground
together in a mortar and pestle, although acceptable results can be
obtained by processing all the ingredients in a food processor.
The
traditional procedure is as follows:

Combine the garlic and chili pepper in a mortar and mash with
the pestle until a paste is formed.
Squeeze the lime juice into the
paste, then remove the pulp from the lime and add it to the
mixture.
Mash to a paste again, and add the fish sauce and water,
stirring to combine.

Makes about 1/2 cup to serve 4 to 6.