Recipes: vietnamese cuisine

1. Add the pork to a pot of water and fill to cover by 5cm. Bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 1 min then remove and drain. Rinse impurities off the pork pieces in fresh tap water and set aside.

2. Add sugar and water to a clean wok or medium sized pot. Heat on med-high heat to create the caramel. Let it bubble away until a rich, dark caramel forms (not burnt). Swirl the pan as you do this to distribute the heat in the pan.

3. Add in 1T oil and swirl through. Add ginger and onion and saute until the onion has softened.

4. Add prepared pork pieces and cook for about 5 mins.

5. Add Shaoxing wine, soy sauces and fish sauce. Stir to mix and heat through.

6. Add coconut water. Stir through then bring to the boil.

7. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for one hour.

8. After one hour, remove the lid, add in the eggs and turn the heat up to medium. Allow the braising liquid to evaporate and thicken into a sauce. Gently rotate your eggs from time to time to allow it to absorb and take on a darker hue. Turn of the heat when the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Make the caramel by adding the sugar and water to a pan. Use a light coloured pan so that you can see the colour of your caramel develop. Heat on high and do not stir. Gently swirl the pan from time to time to disperse any dark spots forming. Your caramel is ready when it turns dark brown. Immediately pour into the bottom of your ramekins.

We used 12 x125mL capacity ramekins for this recipe.

3. Add eggs, egg yolks, condensed milk, vanilla and salt into a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
4. Heat fresh milk and coffee into a small pot to warm through (do not boil). Slowly pour this mix into your egg mix, whisking the egg mix as you pour. Pass this thin custard mix through a fine sieve into a pouring jug. Use a spoon to remove/pop any air bubbles.

Pour custard into the ramekins (not all the way to the top) and cover each ramekin with foil. Pierce holes in the foil to allow steam to escape.

5. Place prepared ramekins into a deep baking pan. Pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches half way up the sides of your ramekins. Bake for 25-30mins or until the custard has just set. If unsure, insert a toothpick into the centre of one flan. If it comes out clean, the flan is cooked.
6. Take ramekins out of the baking pan and remove foil. Allow to cool on the bench top (about 30 mins) before moving them into the fridge. Allow your flans to set and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before turning out.
7. To serve, run a knife around the edge of each flan before inverting onto a plate.

Prepare the beef

1. Add beef, baking soda and water into a bowl. Using a gloved hand, massage the beef until all the liquid has been absorbed, then set aside for 1 hour* if using rump. If using chuck** set aside for 2 hours

2. After an hour, rinse the beef under running water until the water runs clear. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Add beef into a new bowl, together with the rest of the ingredients. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the sauce

3. Add all ingredients into a bowl. Mix then set aside.

Time for the Stir Fry

4. Heat a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add 1T oil then half of the beef. Separate the beef and cook in one layer. When both sides are seared, remove and set aside. Continue to cook the second batch and set aside.

6. Reduce the heat to med-high. Add oil then onions and red capsicum. Stir fry quickly then add Shaoxing wine. Add in the prepared sauce and bring it to a simmer.

7. Return the beef to the wok then add snow peas. Stir then bring back to a simmer. Taste for seasoning then add cornflour slurry (mix cornflour and water together in a small bowl), stirring as you go. Serve up once your sauce has thickened.

Prepare the Sago

1. Add water to a large, deep pot and bring to the boil.
2. Add in sago and give it a stir. Immediately reduce heat to low when it comes to the boil. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15mins (stirring occasionally).
3. Turn off the heat and keep the lid on the pot. Let sit for 25mins.
4. Drain cooked sago through a sieve and rinse with cold tap water to remove the excess starch. Place cooked sago in a large bowl filled with iced water and set aside.

Prepare the Taro

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil.
2. Split taro evenly between 2 steamer baskets.
3. Steam for 20mins or until cooked. Set aside.

For the Soup

1. Add coconut milk, water, sugars and knotted pandan leaf into a large pot and bring to the boil
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Remove the pandan leaf
4. Add in half of the cooked taro and blitz with an immersion blender/stab mixer until smooth.
5. Drain prepared sago and add into the coconut soup. Stir to evenly distribute. Add salt.
6. Add in cooked taro pieces and gently stir through.

This recipe makes a very generous portion, so there should be plenty of leftovers, or gather some friends or loved ones and share it together.
 

Makes 50 small rolls or 15-20 medium sized ones

1. Thaw frozen wrappers in the fridge (in its wrapper, unopened). This will take a couple of hours.

2. Meanwhile, add noodles to one bowl, and dried mushrooms to another. Add boiling water to both bowls to fully cover. Leave to soak for 10mins then drain & rinse dry.

3. Slice noodles into shorter strands and finely chop mushrooms. Add both to a medium sized bowl, along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine.

4. Take wrappers out of its packaging & carefully separate each one by peeling them away from each other. Stack wrappers on top of each other and cover with a clean tea towel.

5. Prepare the slurry by mixing the flour and water together in a saucer.

6. Wrap your rolls with the prepared filling & secure the end with a dab of slurry.

7. Heat oil in a wok/pan and deep fry your rolls until golden. Drain on a wire rack lined with kitchen paper.

Serve these rolls with a side of nuoc mam dipping sauce.

(You can reheat cooked spring rolls in the oven or air fryer to bring back their crunch)

Blitz everything in a blender and enjoy immediately

Tip: vary the amount of condensed milk according to your preference 

 

1. Slice off the bottom root of the lemongrass stalk and peel off any dried-out leaves and layers. Then cut 4 of the lemongrass into 12cm batons, smashing it under the side of a cleaver or knife to release the flavour. For easy removal from a pot of hot liquid, tie the stalks into a knot and set aside.  

2. Peel and cut carrots and white radish into 2cm chunks. Thinly slice onions. Slice shallot and coriander for garnish and set aside.

3. Cut beef into large 3cm chunks

4. In a large bowl, combine the beef with 2 tsp of garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp eschalot, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 teapoon salt and white or raw sugar until each piece is evenly coated. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

5. In a large pot on medium high heat, add oil and remaining garlic, eschalot, ginger. Fry until fragrant then add tomato paste, beef spices to pot.

6. Add marinated beef to the pot and then stir fry. Add water, coconut juice, remaining fish sauce and rock sugar. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover pot with a lid and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and beef or chicken seasoning powder.

7. Add carrots, white radish and simmer for another 30-40 minutes until beef is tender. 

8. Mix lime, salt and pepper together for the dipping sauce.

9. Place beef stew into a bowl and sprinkle the top with shallots, coriander, sliced onion and some pepper.

10. Serve with bread.