Chạo Tôm

Grilled Shrimp Paste On Sugar Cane

1 lb raw shrimp in shell
2 ounces pork fat (optional)
1 egg white
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions (white head only), crushed
1/2 T sugar
salt and grounded white pepper to taste
1 can (12 ounces) sugar cane in light syrup

Shell and devain shrimp, sprinkle salt over and let stand for 15 minutes, rinse and dry.

Boil the pork fat for 5 minutes, drain and finely dice.

Put shrimp, garlic, scallion, egg white, sugar, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until the paste is fine and sticky. Add pork fat and mix well. If not using pork fat, add 1 T vegetable oil and mix well.

Split each section of the sugar cane lengthwise into quarters (or in half). Oil your fingers. Mold the paste onto the sugar cane, leave about 1 inch each end of the sugar cane exposed to serve as a handle. Press firmly so that the paste adheres to the cane.

You can grill over medium charcoal for 6-7 minutes, or broil in the oven until browned, or pre-steam for 3 minutes (until the color turns pink) then pan-fry them for 3 more minutes.

Served with peanut sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 T tamarind paste, soak in warm water, remove seeds and pouches
1 T peanut butter
Siracha chili sauce
2 T roasted peanuts, finely crushed
sugar to taste

Combine hoisin sauce, chicken broth, tamarind juice, peanut butter in a small sauce pan, stir well and bring to boil over medium heat. Add sugar to taste.
Top with ground peanuts and chili sauce.

Canh Bún

Tofu and Blood Noodle Soup

1 block firm tofu
1/2 lb cooked pork blood, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 blue crabs
10 oz frozen Oceanic crab (or 1 can of crab paste)
2 cups boiled water spinach
3 green onions
2.5 quarts water
Vegetable oil to fry
10 oz large rice vermicelli
salt, pepper, fish sauce, shrimp paste to taste

blue crab: detach shell and remove apron and gill
In a medium stock pot, add water and blue crabs in, bring to a boil. Add Frozen Oceanic crab meat in, turn heat down to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. Add fish sauce, 1 T shrimp paste, salt and pepper to taste. Continue simmering.

Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat.
Cut tofu into small thin triangles. Fry both sides until lightly brown.

Add fried tofu into the pot.

Put rice vermicelli in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit for 3 more minutes. Rinse over water. Drain.

Add rice vermicelli in the pot.
Add cooked pork blood in.

Cut green onions into 2-inches length, fry until golden brown, add to the broth.

Serve hot with cooked water spinach, red hot chili sauce and some fresh squeezed lime juice.

Gà Nướng Ngũ Vị

Roasted Five-Spice Chicken with Ginger Sauce

2 chicken leg quarters
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t five spice powder
1 small piece ginger, minced
1 T vegetable oil
1 T black soy sauce
sugar, salt, pepper to taste

Debone chicken quarters and use meat mallet to pound them evenly. Rub 1/2 of the garlic + five spice powder + salt + pepper on the chicken (inside and out), roll up and tie with string.

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

In a medium saute pan on medium-high heat add 1 T oil and bring to smoking point. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil, skin side down and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken and continue to cook to brown all sides, then transfer the pan to the oven. Roast 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the meat is firm. Transfer the chicken to the cutting board, slice.

Bring the pan (remember it's still hot in the oven)to medium heat, add remaining garlic, cook until fragrant, add ginger, stir fry (Use the wooden spoon and scrape the bottom the pan from time to time). Add soy sauce + 1 t sugar, bring to boil. Pour over the chicken and serve immediately.

Five-Spice Powder: peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. This toasted spices can elevate a modest chicken to royal status :) Also good with BBQ pork, use it sparingly, as it can be quite pungent.

Bí Rợ Sốt Cà Ri

Pumpkin in Beef and Basil Curry Sauce



1 small pumpkin
1 lb ground beef
1/2 can coconut milk (7 oz)
2 t curry powder mix (tumeric + chili powder)
1/3 cup water
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup basil, chopped
2 green onion, chopped
2 T vegetable oil
fish sauce, salt, pepper to taste

Heat oil on a large pan over high heat until bubbling, add onion and cook until translucent, add beef in and stir evenly until the beef lightly cooked. Add coconut milk, curry mix, water, stir well, bring to a boil. Add fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Add onion, cook for another minute then add basil. Remove from heat.

peel and cut pumpkin into wedges or big chunks, microwave for 4-5 minutes.

Serve pumpkin wedges with basil beef curry.

Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sa Đéc

Sa Dec-Style Tossed Noodle
Hủ Tiếu Sa Đéc Khô


3 lb pork neck bones
3 baby dried squids
1 medium white daikon, cut into 2 inches cubes
1/2 lb pork loin, cooked and thinly sliced
1 lb ground pork
1 T fine dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 1 hr, washed and drained
16 medium tiger shrimp, cooked and shelled
8 crab claws, cooked and cracked
2 cups tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 T crisp fried shallot
8 small shrimp in shell, salt and pepper
8 wonton skins
tempura mix
2 bags of fresh rice sticks
bean sprouts, chinese celery, chives
lemon, chile
vegetable oil
fish sauce, salt, pepper, rock sugar to taste

Place pork bones in a medium souppot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse the pot and the bones.

Return the bones to the pot,add dried baby squids and 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, skim off foam. Add white daikon, continue skimming until the foam ceases to rise. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 hrs. Add fish sauce, salt, and some rock sugar to taste.

Mix the tempura as directed in the box, add raw shrimp with shell in. Prepare a frying pan with enough frying oil over medium high heat, when the oil is ready (bubbling but not smoking), take each wonton skin and dip into the tempura mixture, transfer to the frying pan, place 1 shrimp in the center. Deep fry each side until nicely brown and cooked. Remove and drain with papper towel.

Add 2 T vegetable oil on a medium pan over high heat, add onion. Stir fry until the onion is translucent about 3 minutes. Add dried fine shrimp, continue to cook for a few minutes, add ground pork, stir well. Add tomato sauce and bring to boil, laddle some soup in if needed. Add fish sauce and pepper to taste.

Blanch rice stick in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and run through cold water, toss some vegetable oil in.

To serve: Place cooked rice sticks in a bowl, spoon enough tomato pork shrimp sauce to mix on top. Add pork loin slices, cooked shrimps, crab claw, and a shrimp chip. Spinkle chive and crisp fried shallot on top. Serve hot with soup, bean sprout, chinese celery, chile pepper on a side. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice if desired.

Noodle Soup Style(Hủ Tiếu Nước)
No tomato sauce, just laddle the hot soup over the noodle.

Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang

Nam Vang-Style Noodle Soup


2 lbs pork bones
3 lbs pork neck bones
4 baby dried squids
5 pieces of dried herbaceous sugar cane (mía lau)
1 medium white daikon, cut into 2-3 inches cubes
1 lb pork loin
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb pork liver
24 medium tiger shrimps in shell
12 quail eggs
3 bags of fresh rice sticks
2 cups chinese celery, washed and cut into 3-inches length
1 cup chive, washed and cut into 3-inches length
1 lb bean sprouts, wahsed
10 cloves garlic, minced
5 shallots, minced
3 lemons
2 red hot chile pepper
rice vinegar
1 can coconut soda
vegetable oil
fish sauce, salt, pepper, rock sugar to taste


Place pork bones in a large stockpot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse the pot and the bones.

Place dried sugar canes in the bottom of the pot, return the bones to the pot, add 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, skim off foam. Add white daikon, continue skimming until the foam ceases to rise. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 hrs. Add fish sauce, salt, and some rock sugar to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pork liver, shrimp, pork loin and quail egg.

Pork liver: cook in salted boiling water+ 1 T vinegar for 15 minutes. Cool, thinly slice, set aside.
Pork loin: cook in coconut juice (or soda) then pan fry or oven broil until golden brown. Cool, thinly slice, set aside.
Ground pork: salt and pepper to taste. Laddle hot soup over, mix well, microwave for 1 more minute to cook. Set aside.
Cook shrimp and quail egg, remove shells. Set aside.

Crisp fried garlic and shallot: 5 cloves minced garlic + 5 minced shallots + vegetable oil : stir-fry until fragrant and golden brown.

garlic vinegar: 5 clove minced garlic + 2 T rice vinegar, set aside.

Blanch rice stick in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and run through cold water, toss some vegetable oil in.

To serve: Place cooked rice sticks in a bowl, top with pork loin, pork liver, ground pork, shrimp quail egg, chive, crisp fried garlic and shallot. Laddle hot soup over. Ground some fresh pepper. Add some soy sauce and garlic vinegar. Serve hot with chinese celery and bean sprout on a side, fresh squeeze lemon juice and hot chile pepper.

Tossed style (Hủ Tiếu Khô): Toss noodle with black soy sauce dressing, serve soup seperately.

Black soy sauce dressing: 1 cup black soy sauce + 1/2 cup vegetable oil + 2 T soup + 1 t sugar + 1 T crisp fried garlic mix well, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.


My Tho-Style Noodle Soup
Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho
Same as Nam Vang style but no soy sauce and garlic vinegar added.