Nghêu Hấp Bầu

Steamed clam in wax gourd


1 lb clams
1 small wax gourd, slice into 11/2-inch length
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 green onion, julienned
5 sprigs cilantro, minced
1/2 cup water
2 T white wine
1 t vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Use a small knife or spoon to scoop the seeds out of the gourd rings, put in a medium pan, add water, white wine, garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cook for 3-5 minutes or until partly translucent. Add clams, bring back to boil for 3 minutes or until all the clams are opened. Add green onion and cilantro. Serve hot with steam rice and ginger fish sauce.

Bò Cuốn Nướng

Grilled Beef Wheels


1/2 lb flank-steak
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
1 t minced lemongrass
1 ripe tomato, slice into 1-inch length
10 small okra, cut in half
1 green onion, chiffonade
1 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper
5 toothpicks

Butterfly the steak: holding the knife horizontally, slice the steak in half leaving 1 inch uncut. Open the steak, pound it until uniformly thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (and a pinch of fishsauce if desired), top with lemongrass and onion and roll tightly. Insert bamboo toothpicks through the roll's center at 1-inch intervals, cut into slices between the toothpicks.

Sprinkle tomatoes, okras with salt, pepper and oil.

Grill beef pinwheels about 5-7 minutes until well browned outside and still pink inside. Grill tomatoes and okras until soft about 3-5 minutes. Place the beef pinwheels on tomato slices, top with green onion.

Cơm Cá Hồi

1/3 lb salmon
1 small bunch cresson
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fish sauce
2 sprigs dill, 1 minced 1 for garnishing
1 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 cup steam rice

Put 1/2 T oil into a medium pan, add garlic and stir evenly until fragant, add cresson. Cook for 3 minutes, add fish sauce and pepper.

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, fry until cooked about 5-7 minutes. Scrub minced dill on when it still hot. Serve over rice and garlic cresson.