US $29.95 | $40 CAN | £20 UK SPINE WIDTH 23MMCOVER + FOIL MOCKUPJOIN CHEF AND AUTHOR JERRY MAI AS SHE SHARES THE ICONIC DISHES AND STREET-FOOD EATS THAT ARE ENJOYED THROUGHOUT VIETNAM, FROM MORNING TO MIDNIGHT. As the sun rises, mornings start early in Vietnam: locals perch on plastic stools, slurping large bowls of beef pho, while others grab a crispy pork banh mi for breakfast on the go. Lunch might include delicious grilled meats piled high onto rice, or a cold noodle salad to help stay cool in the midday heat. Weaving through the bustling streets, snacks are all around: rice paper rolls, savoury pancakes, sweet treats, drinks and more. At the end of the day, grilled or barbecued savoury snacks are the perfect foil for freshly brewed beer and are the best prelude to dinner – a communal feast of shared dishes. This is how Vietnam eats, and you’ll find it all here in Vietnam: Morning to Midnight. COV_VietnamMorningtoMidnight_FA02.indd 3COV_VietnamMorningtoMidnight_FA02.indd 319/9/2022 1:27 pm19/9/2022 1:27 pmBÁNH XÈOON THE STREETS D 61 340 g (12 oz) rice flour 125 ml (½ cup) coconut milk 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 egg 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork belly 16 small green prawns (shrimp), peeled, deveined and halved lengthways 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) bean sprouts TO SERVE lettuce leaves or mustard leaves 1 bunch Vietnamese mint 1 bunch mint 1 bunch shiso Nuoc mam dipping sauce (see page 176) The name bánh xèo comes from the sound of the batter hitting the hot frying pan (xèo means sizzle). I absolutely love these crispy pancakes with their accompanying fragrant, fresh herbs. I like to wrap mouthfuls of bánh xèo and herbs in lettuce leaves, whereas my mum prefers to use mustard leaves. I roll it up as best as I can and dip it in the nuoc mam – if I get too excited with the nuoc mam, it dribbles down my arm! Oh, and only rookies pour the nuoc mam in the wrap. Be a true Vietnamese and dip instead! Whisk the flour, coconut milk, turmeric, oil, salt, egg and 600 ml (20½ fl oz) water in a bowl. Set aside to rest for 3 hours. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the pork belly, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool, then cut into thin slices. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat, add 5–6 slices of the pork belly and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Pour about 60 ml (¼ cup) of the batter into the pan and swirl to cover the base of the pan and the pork belly (tip any excess batter back into the bowl – the thinner the pancake the crispier it will be). Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the base of the pancake is golden brown, then drizzle a little oil down the inside of the pan (this helps the pancake to get even more crispy). Scatter four prawn halves and a handful of bean sprouts over one half of the pancake and fold the other half over the top. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the pan, transfer to a serving plate and take to the table (these are best eaten straight away). Pile the lettuce or mustard leaves and herbs onto a serving plate and place in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. Invite guests to tear off some of the pancake, place in a lettuce leaf and top with a few herbs. Roll up tightly and dip in the nuoc mam. Repeat with the remaining pancake ingredients to make eight banh xeo. CRISPY VIETNAMESE PANCAKES • SERVES 4BÚN CHA HANOIlunch D 89 The first time I was served this dish in Hanoi, I wasn’t quite sure how to eat it, and it turned out to be the complete opposite of how you would eat bún (rice noodles) in the south. The herbs and bún were served seperately alongside a bowl of grilled meats in a nuoc mam broth. Should I eat them together like we do in the south? No, you are supposed to use your chopsticks to grab some noodles and herbs, then dip them in the nuoc mam broth and slurp it down before digging back in for some meat. The results were super delicious. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place the minced pork and pork fat in a large bowl and the pork belly in another bowl. Pour half the marinade over the pork mince and pork fat, and mix well to combine. Slap the mixture against the side of the bowl a few times to remove any air (this helps to prevent the mixture from falling apart when grilled). Set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours or, preferably, overnight. Pour the other half of the marinade over the pork belly. Mix well and set aside in the fridge. To prepare the pickles, place the green papaya and carrot in a bowl. Pour over the pickle liquid, ensuring the ingredients are fully submerged, and set aside for 2 hours. Roll the minced pork mixture into golf ball–sized balls, then return to the fridge for 1–2 hours to firm up. Prepare a charcoal grill. You can use a barbecue grill for this dish, but you won’t achieve that smoky flavour. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then drain again and set aside. Warm the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat. When the charcoal grill is ready (the embers should be glowing red with a small flame on the charcoal), slightly flatten the meatballs using the palms of your hands, then transfer to the grill. Carefully add the pork belly, being careful of flare-ups from the fat dripping onto the charcoal, which will make the meat black and bitter-tasting. Cook the meatballs and pork belly, turning regularly, for 7–10 minutes until cooked through. To serve, place the cooked noodles and salad ingredients on a large serving plate. Drain the pickles and evenly divide among small bowls. Add the meatballs and pork belly and evenly pour over the warmed chicken broth and nuoc mam. Invite guests to dip a few noodles and herbs into their broth and eat, followed by mouthfuls of the meat and pickles. Enjoy! 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) pork 50 g (1 ¾ oz) minced (ground) pork fat 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork belly, thinly sliced 100 g (3½ oz) thin bun (rice noodles) 250 ml (1 cup) chicken broth (see page 34 or use store-bought) 250 ml (1 cup) nuoc mam dipping sauce (see page 176) MARInADE 200 ml (7 fl oz) fish sauce 100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar 1–3 garlic cloves, minced 5 shallots, minced 3 tablespoons vegetable oil pinch of ground white pepper PIcKlES 200 g (7 oz) green papaya, thinly sliced 1 carrot, thinly sliced 200 ml (7 fl oz) pickle liquid (see page 179) SAlAD 1 bunch mint 1 bunch Vietnamese mint 1 bunch shiso (optional) chARGRIllED PORK PATTIES WITh hERBS AnD nOODlES • SERVES 4–6168 D dinner Vietnamese immigrants brought fried ice cream to Australia. Years ago when my brother was at school, he mentioned this delicious dessert in one of his assignments and the teacher laughed at him. ‘You can’t fry ice cream,’ she proclaimed. Well, look who’s laughing now! You need to start this recipe two days ahead. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Working quickly, place the ice cream scoops on the tray, then transfer to the freezer and freeze overnight. Working in batches, place the waffles in a food processor and blitz to a crumb. Set aside in a large shallow bowl. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl and the beaten egg in a third bowl. Working quickly and with one ice cream ball at a time, roll the ice cream in the flour, making sure to dust off any excess, then roll through the egg. Transfer to the waffle crumb and roll until the ice cream is thickly coated. Firmly press the crumbs into the ice cream (this helps to protect the ice cream when it’s fried). Return the ice cream balls to the freezer and freeze overnight. To make the salted caramel, place the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted. As soon as the sugar has liquefied, stop stirring, as this will agitate it and cause the caramel to crystallise. Continue to cook until the sugar turns a deep caramel colour. Slowly whisk in the butter, followed by the cream, then remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 200°C (400°F) on a kitchen thermometer. Working in batches, carefully lower the ice cream balls into the oil and cook for 30–40 seconds until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ice cream from the oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Serve in small bowls generously drizzled with the salted caramel. 8 × 70 g (2½ oz) scoops salted caramel ice cream 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) waffles 150 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 litres (2 qts) vegetable oil, for deep-frying SALTed CArAMeL 220 g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 90 g (3 oz) butter 140 ml (4½ fl oz) cream 1½ tablespoons sea salt deeP-Fried iCe CreAM WiTH SALTed CArAMeL • SerVeS 8KEM CHIÊNNext >