INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

ROASTED RICE POWDER (THINH) Roasted rice powder is used as a  flavoring
and binding agent in various recipes throughout this book.  It is
necessary to soak the rice first in order to obtain a deep  golden
color after roasting. Soaking also makes the rice easier to  grind. 1/2
cup raw glutinous rice Soak the glutinous rice in warm  water for 1
hour.  Drain. Place the rice in a small skillet over  moderate heat.
Toast the rice, stirring constantly with chopsticks  or a wooden spoon,
until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Transfer the roasted rice
to a spice grinder or blender and process  to a fine powder (the powder
should resemble saw dust). Sift the  ground rice through a very fine
sieve into a bowl. Discard the grainy  bits. Store the rice powder in a
tightly covered jar in your  refrigerator and use as needed.  It will
keep for up to 3 months.  Yield: 1 cup. SCALLION OIL (HANH LA PHI):
Many Vietnamese dishes  require this delicate scallionflavored oil.
Brushed over noodles,  barbecued meats, vegetables or breads, it
complements each item. 1/4  cup peanut oil, 2 scallions, finely sliced
Heat the oil in a small  saucepan until hot but not smoking, about
300F.  Remove the pan from  the heat and add the sliced scallions. Let
the mixture steep at room  temperature until completely cooled. This
oil mixture will keep  stored in a tightly covered jar at room
temperature for 1 week.  Yield: 1/4 cup CRISP FRIED SHALLOTS (HANH KHO
PHI): This is an  important ingredient in his many dishes throughout
this book. Use as  specified in recipes. 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup
thinly sliced  shallots Heat the oil in a small saucepan until hot but
not smoking,  about 300F. Add the shallots and fry over moderate heat
until crispy  and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook.
Immediately  remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and drain on
paper towels.  Reserve the oil for another use. Cooked this way,
shallots can be  stored in a tightly covered jar on the kitchen shelf
for up to 1  month.  Yield: about 1/3 cup. ROASTED PEANUTS (DAU PHONG
RANG): Use  shelled and skinned unsalted peanuts for this purpose.
Cook a small  amount at a time and use shortly after they are roasted
to preserve  their flavor. Amounts are specified in recipes using
roasted peanuts.  Place the peanuts in a skillet over moderate heat and
cook, stirring  constantly, until the nuts turn golden brown, about 5
minutes.  Allow  to cool. Pound in a mortar with a pestle or process in
a spice  grinder until the peanuts are a bit chunky. Store-bought
dry-roasted-roasted unsalted peanuts may be substituted in recipes
calling for roasted peanuts. PEANUT SAUCE (NUOC LEO): This delicious
sauce originated in the central region and is used as a dip for many
dishes in this book. Usually, tuong, a fermented soybean sauce, and
glutinous rice are used to produce this sauce. After several
experiments, I ended up with this variation where tuong and glutinous
rice are replaced by hoisin sauce and peanut butter, ingredients that
are more readily available. 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, ground, 1
tablespoon peanut oil, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 teaspoon chili  paste
(tuong ot tuoi), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 cup chicken  broth or
water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/4  cup hoisin
sauce, 1 fresh red chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced  Prepare the
roasted peanuts. Set aside. Heat the oil in a small  saucepan. When the
oil is hot, add the garlic, chili paste and tomato  paste, Fry until
the garlic is golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add  the broth, sugar,
peanut butter and hoisin sauce and whisk to  dissolve the peanut
butter.  Bring to a boil, Reduce the heat and  simmer for 3 minutes.
Divide the sauce among individual dipping bowls  and garnish with the
ground peanuts and sliced chile. Serve warm or  at room temperature.
Yield: About 1 cup. VEGETABLE PLATTER (DIA RAU  SONG): Vietnamese meals
include an abundance of fresh lettuce, herbs,  unripe fruits and raw
vegetables.  These are arranged attractively on  a platter and are used
for wrapping cooked foods at the table,  usually dipped in Nuoc Cham
and eaten out of hand. The following  herbs, both very important to the
Vietnamese, would be authentic  additions to the Vegetable Platter: One
is the "saw leaf herb"  (Eryngium foetidum, or ngo gai in Vietnamese),
a coriander relative.  The other is polygonum (P. pulchrum or rau ram
in Vietnamese), with  pinkish stems, pointed green leaves and purplish
markings.  They can  be found occasionally at Southeast Asian markets.
If you have access  to unripe mango, banana, papaya or apple and star
fruit (carambola),  add them to the platter. You may select or
substitute the ingredients  according to availability and personal
taste. 1 large head of Boston  or other soft lettuce, separated into
individual leaves, 1 bunch of  scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths, 1
cup coriander leaves, 1 cup  mint leaves, 1 cup fresh Asian or regular
basil leaves, 1 cucumber,  peeled in alternating strips, halved
lengthwise and sliced thinly  crosswise, 4 ounces fresh bean sprouts On
a large platter,  decoratively arrange all of the ingredients in
separate groups. Use  in recipes where required. Yield: 4 to 6 servings
From "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Rauthier.  Stewart, Tabori &
Chang. 1989.  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; May 24 1993.  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/cberg2.zip

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