WHAT I’M COOKING
Nem Rán (Fried Spring Rolls)
yields ~24 spring rolls- 2 ounces rice noodles
- 1 cup ground pork or ground chicken
- 0.25 cup shrimp, peeled and chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 0.5 cup wood ear mushrooms
(mộc nhĩ), chopped
- 0.25 cup bean sprouts, chopped
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- Rice paper wrappers
- Accoutrements: lettuce, Thai basil, mint leaves, perilla leaves, cilantro, lime
For the nước chấm (dipping sauce):
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 bird’s-eye chili
Instructions:
- Soak the noodles in lukewarm water until soft, 15-20 minutes, before draining and chopping into 1-inch long pieces.
- Combine the ground meat, shrimp, eggs, noodles, carrot, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Season with about 0.5 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper and stir to combine.
- Soak 1 rice paper wrapper in a bowl of warm water, turning the wrapper to wet the circumference. Place on a flat surface.
- Place one spoonful of the filling onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge over the filling mixture just to cover before rolling once. Fold the opposite edges over the center and finish rolling tightly.
- Repeat with remaining rice papers and filling!
- Fry the spring rolls in small batches over medium heat (do not crowd your pan) until crispy and golden brown, ~5 minutes on each side.
- Drain on paper towels before serving with the nước chấm, rice or rice noodles, and accoutrements. Enjoy hot.
Chicken
Phở
serves ~6- 1 whole chicken (or about 1.5 pounds chicken thighs)
- 1 large onion, halved
- 1 small piece of ginger (about 3 inches)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 star anise -- this is the most important spice
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
- 0.5 tablespoon of sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon of MSG (optional)
- Phở noodles -- fresh is better
- Accoutrements: cilantro, basil, mint, bean sprouds, lime
Instructions:
- Roast the aromatics (onion and ginger) on a sheet pan for ~20 minutes at
400°F.
- Wrap the spices (coriander seeds, cinnamon, star anise) in foil and roast for ~5 minutes at 350°F. Alternatively, toast them in a dry pan.
- In a big pot, throw in the chicken, aromatics, and spices. Cover everything with water and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for ~30 minutes (or until the chicken reaches 165°F internal). Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
- About halfway through simmering, add fish sauce, sugar, salt, and MSG to the broth.
- Remove the chicken once it’s done and let cool before shredding. Strain the broth to remove the aromatics and spices.
- Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions just before serving.
- Assemble and serve with accoutrements + sriracha. I like cooking bean sprouts in the broth for a couple of minutes for extra flavor.