Vietnamese Cooking Together – Viet Slaw Summer Rolls, Coconut Caramel Chicken, Lime Slaw, Black Fried Rice
Vietnamese summer rolls – Serves 10
Dipping sauce
100ml fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli
3 tablespoons sugar
2 fresh red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, thinly sliced
2 spring onion, sliced
Summer Rolls
4oz bean thread noodles (cellophane or transparent noodles)
10×8′-9′ rice wrappers
150g Shredded beef (optional)
Handful of fresh basil leaves
handful fresh cilantro leaves plus 1 tablespoon chopped
handful fresh mint leaves
100g daikon
1x cucumber, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 carrot, cut into matchstick-size pieces
10 small green or red lettuce leaves (baby gem)
Preparation
Step 1
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Step 2
Put noodles in a large bowl. Pour enough hot water over to cover; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool; drain and set aside.
Step 3
Fill a bowl with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, soak rice paper in water, turning occasionally, until just pliable but not limp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a work surface. Arrange pinch of beef halves across canter of round. Top with some leaves of each herb, then daikon cucumber, and carrot. Arrange a small handful of noodles over. Place 1 lettuce leaf over, torn or folded to fit. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in ends and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a platter. Repeat to make 10 more rolls. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate.
Step 4
To serve, cut rolls in half on diagonal. Add chopped cilantro to dipping sauce.
Lime slaw
Ingredients – Serves 2
- 1x lime zest and juice
- 1tsp of caster sugar
- 3tbsp of olive oil
- 1x handful of chopped coriander
- ¼ red cabbage, shredded
- ¼ white cabbage, shredded
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1x shallot, sliced
- 1 green chilli, sliced
- 1tbsp of Asian mayo (optional)
Method
In a bowl, combine sugar, lime zest and juice. Whisk until well combined and sugar has melted.
Start stirring in the oil, gradually, still whisking.
Add white and red cabbage, pinch of salt and pepper and roughly rub the marinade in.
Add the rest of the ingredients and correct the seasoning.
We could use a tbsp. of mayonnaise or yoghurt for a creamy version of the slaw.
Caramel Lime Chicken, fish, Tofu or Cauliflower – Main
Ingredients – Serves 2
- 4 chicken thighs or 160g Tofu, 160g of Hake or any white fish/salmon
- 2 Cauliflower steaks – pre steamed for 6 mins to soften
- 1 small disk palm sugar or 50g brown sugar
- 1 tsp of Nam Pla fermented fish water (optional) (use Vegan version or oyster sauce for Vegetarian/Vegan)
- 1 tbsp water
- 200g 1/2 a tin coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (optional)
- 1 garlic clove grated
- Grated to ginger to taste
- 1 shallot finely sliced
- Pinch white pepper (optional)
Garnishes (Optional):
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 1 large red chilli, finely sliced
- Coriander, chopped
- Lime juice and zest
Method
- Place sugar and water in a skillet over medium heat. Stir, then when it bubbles and the sugar is melted (it looks like caramel), add the rest of the ingredients except chicken.
- Stir, then put the Chicken/Fish/Tofu/Cauliflower into the pan
- Adjust the heat to medium so it is simmering energetically. Not rapidly, not a slow simmer.
- Pan frying time for Chicken/Fish 5 mins each side, for Tofu & pre steamed Cauliflower 3-4 mins each side.
- Once sauce and Chicken/Fish/Tofu/Cauliflower are brown, remove from heat. Grate some lime zest into the pan and then roll and squeeze in lime juice.
- Place Chicken/Fish/Tofu/Cauliflower on serving plates, spoon over the sauce.
- Garnish with spring onion, chilli, coriander and lime juice and zest if using. Can be served with rice or noodle4
For the rice – feeds 4
300g of red or black rice, boiled and cooled – allow to dry in a sieve or colander
1tbsp of oil
2 spring onions, chopped
1 red onion, sliced
Handful of chopped coriander
Soy sauce to season (tamari)
1 lime, juice and zest
1 egg
Method
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, add onion and fry until translucent. Add the rice, and vegetables, and once warm, push to one side of the pan and break in your egg. Scramble the egg quickly and mix through the rice. Serve straight away.
Toppings/garnishes – Serve with some toasted cashews, chopped chillies and some extra chopped coriander.
