Tai Heo Ngam Chua (Pickled Pigs' Ears)

http://asiarecipe.com/viemain4.html#ear

Yields 2 quarts.

Ingredients:

• 4 qt Water
• 1 tb Alum
• 2 c Distilled white vinegar
• 2 c Granulated sugar
• 1 t Salt
• 2 lb Pigs' ears

Directions:

• Lip-smacking, tangy, chewy, and exotic, these morsels go perfectly with drinks before dinner, and very well without drinks at any time.
• Boil 2 quarts of the water with the alum for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Boil the vinegar with the sugar and salt for a few minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
• Boil the remaining 2 quarts water and drop in the pigs' ears. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove the pigs' ears and cut them into lengthwise slices 1/4 inch wide. After the sliced pigs' ears have cooled, return them to the alum water to soak for 2 hours, then drain and rinse under cold water. Dry lightly.
• Place the pigs' ears in a jar, pressing them down. Pour in enough cooled vinegar mixture to completely cover the contents of the jar. Refrigerate.

Note:

This can be eaten after 3 day and will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Lamb In A Hot Garlic Sauce

http://asiarecipe.com/viemain1.html#lamb

Yield 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Spinach or any green Vegetable
• 2 tb Vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb Lean lamb, thinly sliced
• 4 Cloves garlic,finely chopped
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 ts Sugar
• 1 tb Nuoc Mam sauce
• 1 tb Oyster sauce
• Fresh sprigs of mint and/or
• Cilantro to garnish

Directions:

• Blanch the greens in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and place on a serving dish.
• Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the lamb until nearly cooked. This should not take more than 2 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, sugar, Nuoc Mam sauce, and oyster sauce and stir-fry until the lamb is completely cooked and tender.
• Pour the lamb and sauce over the greens. Garnish with mint and/or cilantro.

Ca Nau Ca Chua (Vietnamese Dilled Tomato-Fish Soup)

http://asiarecipe.com/viemain4.html#Dilled

This fragrant soup is very light, subtle, and extremely low calorie. Served in large bowl portions, it is an excellent appetite suppressant. Don't be put off by the fish sauce (nuoc mam or the like)--added to broth it merely acts, like salt, to season the dish. Serve hot to 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound fish fillets, cut in triangle shapes (cod, snapper, perch, or whatever looks fresh)
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and cut into triangle shapes
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2 Tablespoons nuoc mam or other fish sauce
• 2 quarts water
• 2 celery stalks, cut into a fine julienne
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Garnish: additional nuoc mam, sprigs of dill, and, for heat, stir in Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce (tuong ot toi Viet Nam).

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large pot and add fish--saute til lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, onion, and nuoc mam and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Cook at a low boil for 15 minutes.
• When ready to serve, stir in the celery, the dill, and the black pepper. Let cook a minute or two then ladle into bowls. Top each with a dill sprig. Serve with extra nuoc mam and with chili-garlic sauce for those who like it hot.

Sup Mang Tay Cua (Asparagus Crab Soup)

http://www.elook.org/recipes/asian/12588.html

Yield 6 - 8 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 qt Water
• 2 lb Pork bones
• 2 ts Salt
• 1 tb Fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1 ts Vegetable oil
• 1 Clove garlic chopped
• 2 Shallots or
• 2 Scallions chopped white -part
• 1/2 lb Crab meat fresh frozen -or canned
• 1/4 ts Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ts Cornstarch dissolved in
• 2 tb Water
• 1 Egg
• 1 cn (15 ounces) white -asparagus undrained
• 1/4 c Chopped fresh coriander -(Chinese parsley)
• 1/4 c Chopped scallion greens

Instructions:

• Bring water to a boil and put the pork bones in.
• Remove the scum.
• Cover and continue to boil the bones for 1 hour.
• Remove the bones from the stock and discard.
• Add the salt and the fish sauce to the stock.
• Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and shallots
• Add the crab meat and fry for 5 minutes over high heat.
• Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, stirring constantly.
• Then add the crab meat mixture to the soup and bring to a boil.
• Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture and stir for a few minutes.
• Break the egg open and drop it into the actively boiling soup while stirring.
• Cook, still stirring, for about 2 minutes, then drop in the asparagus, along with the liquid from the can and the rest of the black pepper.
• Continue to cook until the asparagus is heated through.
• Sprinkle the coriander and scallion green over the soup before serving.

Ech Nau Ca-ri (Curried Frogs' Legs)

http://www.elook.org/recipes/asian/12548.html

Yield 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 4 Pairs of jumbo frog's legs
• 1 Stalk fresh lemon grass or
• 1 tb Dried lemon grass
• 2 Fresh red chilies seeded -and sliced
• 2 Shallots sliced
• 2 Garlic cloves crushed
• 1 1/2 ts Sugar
• 1 ts Curry paste
• 2 ts Curry powder
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 2 tb Nuoc mam (fish sauce)
• 2 oz Cellophane noodles
• 2 tb Vegetable oil
• 1 sm Onion chopped
• 1 c Chicken broth or water
• 1/2 c Coconut milk or heavy cream
• 1 ts Cornstarch

Instructions:

• Fresh ground black pepper Coriander sprigs for garnish.
• This delicious lemon grass and coconut-laced curry comes from southern Vietnam.
• If you prefer a very hot curry simply use more chile peppers.
• Cut the frogs' legs into bite-size pieces.
• Rinse with cold water to remove any chipped bones.
• Pat dry and refrigerate.
• If you are using fresh lemon grass discard the outer leaves and upper half of the stalk.
• Cut into thin slices and finely chop.
• If you are using dried lemon grass soak it in warm water for 1 hour.
• Drain and finely chop.
• In a blender combine the lemon grass with the chiles shallots garlic sugar curry paste curry powder salt and 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce.
• Process to a very fine paste. Rub the paste over the frogs' legs.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile soak the cellophane noodles in warm water for 30 minutes.
• Drain.
• Cut into 2-inch sections.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan over moderate heat.
• Add the onion and saute until translucent.
• Add the frogs' legs and brown well on all sides about 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan and add the coconut milk the cornstarch diluted in 1 tablespoon of cold water and the remaining 1 table- spoon fish sauce.
• Cook stirring until the sauce thickens about 15 minutes.
• Add the cellophane noodles and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Remove from the heat.
• Sprinkle with black pepper and garnish with coriander sprigs.
• Serve immediately with rice French bread or over rice noodles.

Note:

Instead of discarding the upper half of the lemon grass crush it and cook it with the frogs' legs for extra flavor. Remove the stalk before serving.

Hanh Kho Phi (Crisp Fried Shallots)

http://www.elook.org/recipes/asian/12556.html

Yield 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c Vegetable oil
• 1/2 c Thinly sliced shallots

Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking about 300 degrees F.
• 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.

Ga Xao Xa Ot (Chicken In Lemon Grass & Chili)

http://www.elook.org/recipes/asian/12576.html

Yield 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb Chicken
• 1 lg Onion
• 1 ea Salt
• 1 ts Ground chilies
• 1 tb Granulated sugar
• 1 c Water
• 4 cl Garlic
• 3 tb Vegetable oil
• 2 tb Minched lemon grass
• 4 tb Fish sauce(nuoc mam)
• 1 tb Caramel sauce

Instructions:

• Rinse chicken and dry well.
• Cut into small pieces.
• Peel garlic and slice finely.
• Cut onion into halves lengthwise and then cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips.
• Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat.
• Add a pinch of salt garlic and onion.
• Fry over medium heat until onion becomes translucent.
• Add lemon grass and chili.
• Fry 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add chicken and cook until lightly browned.
• Add fish sauce sugar and caramel sauce.
• Mix well.
• Add 1 cup water and cook 45 minutes or until chicen is tender.
• Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary.

Caramel Sauce:

• Mix 1/2 c sugar with 4 tablespoons of water in heavy saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil until mixture changes colour.
• Turn heat down to low and heat until brown.
• Add 1/2 cup water to mixture.
• Stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Canh Chua Dau Ca (Sour Fish Head Soup)

http://www.elook.org/recipes/asian/12603.html

Ingredients:

• 2 scallions - use white part only and crushed with the side of a knife
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbs salt
• 2 tbs plus 4 teaspoons Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
• 1 large fish head or fish carcass - split down the center
• 1 qt water
• 1/2 cup canned sliced sour bamboo
• 1/4 fresh pineapple - sliced
• 2 tbs mixed chopped coriander and scallion green

Preparation:

• Sprinkle the scallions, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons fish sauce over the fish head.
• Allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and drop in the sour bamboo and pineapple slices. Cook at a lively boil for 5 minutes.
• Drop fish head into the actively boiling water and, keeping at a boil, add the 2 tablespoons fish sauce and salt.
• Boil the fish head for a total of 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a soup tureen, sprinkle on the coriander and scallion green, and serve.