ProfessorbyGrace
Well-Known Member
That looks amazing, what’s it coated in? Is it onions?
Pardon my rapidly failing short range vision.
I've been making my wife traditional Vietnamese dinners and here are some photos (21 Viewers)
- Thread starter JohnWH
- Start date
Pardon my rapidly failing short range vision.
OffenhamSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
No i don't think so, Prof - i think it is just the way the scales come out when they have been deep-fried
ProfessorbyGrace
Well-Known Member
Ah right, thanks.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
What's wrong with take out of freezer, put on Gas Mark 6 for 20mins, eat?
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Absolutely nothing, you live it up big Dreamer
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Tonight's meal is a classic.
Cá kho - catfish, braised. Marinaded in generous amount of ginger, shallots, garlic, seared then simmered in a coconut water mixture. Using steaks rather than fillets keeps the fish from falling apart as it cooks. Much better than American style fried catfish, which is all I've ever seen here for many decades. The braising juice is a great dip for your greens and other vegetables.
Cá kho - catfish, braised. Marinaded in generous amount of ginger, shallots, garlic, seared then simmered in a coconut water mixture. Using steaks rather than fillets keeps the fish from falling apart as it cooks. Much better than American style fried catfish, which is all I've ever seen here for many decades. The braising juice is a great dip for your greens and other vegetables.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Tonight's meal was supposed to be simple. It features a caramelized ground pork for lettuce wraps, assorted vegetables both fresh and pickleds, aromatics, herbs, and there were various chili and sweet sauces for drizzle or dunking. Then my wife decided she also wanted braised turkey necks. Whew, what an evening. I'm so stuffed I had to lay down, will worry about dishes in the morning.
Enjoy.
Thịt băm - caramelized ground pork crisped on cooktop with a mix of fish sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger.
Cổ gà tây kho - braised turkey necks, in a spicy marinade of chili sauce and fish sauce. (Apparently turkey translates to "Western bird" or something along those lines).
Mì thập cẩm - vegetable noodles to add to your lettuce wraps.
Enjoy.
Thịt băm - caramelized ground pork crisped on cooktop with a mix of fish sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger.
Cổ gà tây kho - braised turkey necks, in a spicy marinade of chili sauce and fish sauce. (Apparently turkey translates to "Western bird" or something along those lines).
Mì thập cẩm - vegetable noodles to add to your lettuce wraps.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I thought turkey was bird/chicken of India from the French dinde (shortened from poulet d'inde)
In other words,gizzards!
andrew.roberts
Well-Known Member
In Mallorcan turkey is "indiot" which lends weight to this.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Ya'll want me cook off some gizzards and offal, Vietnamese style? What's ya'll like, livers, hearts, kidneys, intestines (very yummy)
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
It was always my understanding the turkey was indigenous to North America,
Where did the domestic turkey come from?
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European table
This seems to suggest that, but with the bird imported around the world via trade and I suppose easily reaching Europe, India, and other areas of South Asia almost immediately in the 1500s.
"
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European tables through shipping routes that passed through Turkey. On a continent where fine dining still included eating storks, herons, and bustards, the meaty, succulent turkey was a sensation.
Later on, when English settlers came to America, they were amazed to find the same birds running wild and free, and tasting really good thanks to their natural diet of chestnuts, beechnuts, walnuts, and other native mast. That is probably one of the reasons Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to serve as our [United States of America] national emblem—it’s a beautiful, genuinely American bird that tastes wonderful and had enormous economic value for the colonists"
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
They are, but the French thought they'd landed in India, not America. Hence the name.It was always my understanding the turkey was indigenous to North America,
Where did the domestic turkey come from?
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European tablewww.allaboutbirds.org
This seems to suggest that, but with the bird imported around the world via trade and I suppose easily reaching Europe, India, and other areas of South Asia almost immediately in the 1500s.
"
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European tables through shipping routes that passed through Turkey. On a continent where fine dining still included eating storks, herons, and bustards, the meaty, succulent turkey was a sensation.
Later on, when English settlers came to America, they were amazed to find the same birds running wild and free, and tasting really good thanks to their natural diet of chestnuts, beechnuts, walnuts, and other native mast. That is probably one of the reasons Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to serve as our [United States of America] national emblem—it’s a beautiful, genuinely American bird that tastes wonderful and had enormous economic value for the colonists"
Is this like say swan to people who don't get British habits I wonder?It was always my understanding the turkey was indigenous to North America,
Where did the domestic turkey come from?
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European table
This seems to suggest that, but with the bird imported around the world via trade and I suppose easily reaching Europe, India, and other areas of South Asia almost immediately in the 1500s.
"
Domestic turkeys come from the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a species that is native only to the Americas. In the 1500s, Spanish traders brought some that had been domesticated by indigenous Americans to Europe and Asia. The bird reportedly got its common name because it reached European tables through shipping routes that passed through Turkey. On a continent where fine dining still included eating storks, herons, and bustards, the meaty, succulent turkey was a sensation.
Later on, when English settlers came to America, they were amazed to find the same birds running wild and free, and tasting really good thanks to their natural diet of chestnuts, beechnuts, walnuts, and other native mast. That is probably one of the reasons Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to serve as our [United States of America] national emblem—it’s a beautiful, genuinely American bird that tastes wonderful and had enormous economic value for the colonists"
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
French have had a Lotta loopy ideas over the years but they are excused b/c they are quite harmless
They did present you with the statue of liberty didn't they, I'm not sure your wife would agree,,or maybe she does thinking about it!
Anyway enough this is your thread and remain free of political content!
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
They did present you with the statue of liberty didn't they, I'm not sure your wife would agree,,or maybe she does thinking about it!
Anyway enough this is your thread and remain free of political content!
Not presented to me personally, no. And the copper has gone all green!
I'm not an American but instead am still a UK citizen. Been here for decades so happy to fill in any American political context you all may like (elsewhere on a related thread for such topics, though I'm fairly apolitical due to not being able to vote here).
In other news, our dinner is almost ready so should have tonight's meal photos within the half hour or so. Cheers.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
For anyone staying up past their bedtime,
Tonight's meal
Mì Quảng - tumeric noodle soup. I had been excited about trying this for weeks. Parboiled then seared, short pork ribs are used as the base for a 3 hour long simmer soup including tumeric, lemongrass, fish sauce, onion. Seems to be a soup you can have "dry" (with little broth) or generously soaking in broth. Toppings include tofu & shrimp (or prawns), with fragrant mint, basil, other vegetables and pickled roots as seen. Took me most of the day.
Tonight's meal
Mì Quảng - tumeric noodle soup. I had been excited about trying this for weeks. Parboiled then seared, short pork ribs are used as the base for a 3 hour long simmer soup including tumeric, lemongrass, fish sauce, onion. Seems to be a soup you can have "dry" (with little broth) or generously soaking in broth. Toppings include tofu & shrimp (or prawns), with fragrant mint, basil, other vegetables and pickled roots as seen. Took me most of the day.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Let us be distracted from yesterday's unpleasantness. Enjoy.
Tonight's meal has two new features, alongside baked/broiled spicy chicken drummettes and rice to round out the supper:
Goì muc - a simple yet refreshing squid
salad. A "dressing" of ordinarily of lime juice (had to use lemon instead due to lack of limes), fish sauce, sugar, and garlic, dashed with sliced chili, atop thin sliced cucumber 
and onion 
. Squid cooks very quickly with no need for oil, just a bit of ginger.
Súp đậu phụ - a broth simmered for a few hours consisting of aromatics and dried roots, juujubees, etc. for a rich flavor and color. Firm tofu provides a good substance. Your choice of light fragrant leaves like mint or basil, and a few green onions or red pepper to personal taste.
Tonight's meal has two new features, alongside baked/broiled spicy chicken drummettes and rice to round out the supper:
Goì muc - a simple yet refreshing squid
salad. A "dressing" of ordinarily of lime juice (had to use lemon instead due to lack of limes), fish sauce, sugar, and garlic, dashed with sliced chili, atop thin sliced cucumber and onion . Squid cooks very quickly with no need for oil, just a bit of ginger. Súp đậu phụ - a broth simmered for a few hours consisting of aromatics and dried roots, juujubees, etc. for a rich flavor and color. Firm tofu provides a good substance. Your choice of light fragrant leaves like mint or basil, and a few green onions or red pepper to personal taste.
I tell you what, the spinach at Asda was a bargain today, a two kg bag for £1.15!Let us be distracted from yesterday's unpleasantness. Enjoy.
Tonight's meal has two new features, alongside baked/broiled spicy chicken drummettes and rice to round out the supper:
Goì muc - a simple yet refreshing squid
Súp đậu phụ - a broth simmered for a few hours consisting of aromatics and dried roots, juujubees, etc. for a rich flavor and color. Firm tofu provides a good substance. Your choice of light fragrant leaves like mint or basil, and a few green onions or red pepper to personal taste.
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This sounds and looks very tasty John.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
I'll say that spinach is a cost effective and delicious addition to any of these meals so far. A tasty and sharp side whether blanched or steamed, or just fresh and raw to dip into spicy, fishy, or sweet sauces, or to add to your broths! Looks great too if your bargain bag featured the long stems rather than just leaves.
You rock on you shining star.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Tonight's dinner
Toppings include pickles, mint, cilantro, basil, fried shallots, etc. with tương ớt type of red chili paste dip and Nước chấm a type of fish sauce dip
(Attempted) Bánh cuốn - a rice batter quickly heated swirled and steamed into a flat base, then filled and rolled with a mixture of wood ear mushroom, pork, onion, and jicama. They are supposed to be thin. I managed to cock up and make them quite thick, bubbly, and as my wife commented "eh, looks a bit like brains"... sorry dear, it's a learning process... give me a break...
Chả lụa - a type of pork meatloaf sausage, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. This is store bought as very to buy and likely not worth the time or energy to make at home.
Toppings include pickles, mint, cilantro, basil, fried shallots, etc. with tương ớt type of red chili paste dip and Nước chấm a type of fish sauce dip
(Attempted) Bánh cuốn - a rice batter quickly heated swirled and steamed into a flat base, then filled and rolled with a mixture of wood ear mushroom, pork, onion, and jicama. They are supposed to be thin. I managed to cock up and make them quite thick, bubbly, and as my wife commented "eh, looks a bit like brains"... sorry dear, it's a learning process... give me a break...
Chả lụa - a type of pork meatloaf sausage, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. This is store bought as very to buy and likely not worth the time or energy to make at home.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Fish on Friday, same the world over,or maybe not!! Where's the batter!!🫣
Battered steamed fish? Be a tad soggy perhaps.
Your ideas are intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your culinary newsletters.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
It's known as roadkill surprise over here!
Looks delicious!🫣
Your continuous positive feedback fuels my motivation.
I suppose I've had more than my plenty of share of venison over the last few decades here I've gotten very used to its taste and texture, very common to have excess freebie deer meat from those that partake in the Great Ol' American past time of hunting deer. Not my all time favorite, but who turns down a whole leg of free meat?
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Got anything suitable for a slow cooker?
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Apologies for any delay.
I'd not come across anything that specifically indicates a slow cooker. Though coincidentally we used half the uncooked marinated venison into the slow cooker the next day, the taste was a bit different because she wanted to add red wine as well (according to her, a "Frenched" stew) which altogether remained delicious, the venison became much softer and tender after about 4 or 5 hours or so, but the wine overwhelmed the more Asian-y fish sauce taste I was hoping to retain.
I suspect the closed lid of a slow cooker tends to reintroduce moisture and doesn't allow the juices to slowly evaporate and concentrate how they might in the braising techniques we've been using. I think a lot of the fish and seafood style foods would suffer from being overcooked too long in a slowcooker. The pork and ribs likely would be okay, especially as using them or other bones for making a slow cooker soup broths.
Beef stew would turn out well in a slow cooker, because beef holds up well in any stew. The ingredients for a Vietnamese style beef stew aren't too different than a standard Western version.
The beef stew is bò kho ,and like any other recipe likely to be open to your own preferences. Get fish sauce if you can, so essential as a flavor to distinguish it. I've had a few different bowls of bò kho over the years.
You might want to consider tripe as a unique and chewy addition to set it apart from your ordinary Western stews.
I dug around a few minutes and these would make for good reference points.
Crock Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)
Bò kho is a Vietnamese beef stew that's pleasantly fragrant thanks to plenty of lemongrass. The slow cooker ensures a tender beef with little effort.
bunbobae.com
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Some of those ingredients are a bit hard to come by, but will still give it a go in a few weeks. Looks the sort of meal that would get even better marinating in the fridge after cooking.Apologies for any delay.
I'd not come across anything that specifically indicates a slow cooker. Though coincidentally we used half the uncooked marinated venison into the slow cooker the next day, the taste was a bit different because she wanted to add red wine as well (according to her, a "Frenched" stew) which altogether remained delicious, the venison became much softer and tender after about 4 or 5 hours or so, but the wine overwhelmed the more Asian-y fish sauce taste I was hoping to retain.
I suspect the closed lid of a slow cooker tends to reintroduce moisture and doesn't allow the juices to slowly evaporate and concentrate how they might in the braising techniques we've been using. I think a lot of the fish and seafood style foods would suffer from being overcooked too long in a slowcooker. The pork and ribs likely would be okay, especially as using them or other bones for making a slow cooker soup broths.
Beef stew would turn out well in a slow cooker, because beef holds up well in any stew. The ingredients for a Vietnamese style beef stew aren't too different than a standard Western version.
The beef stew is bò kho ,and like any other recipe likely to be open to your own preferences. Get fish sauce if you can, so essential as a flavor to distinguish it. I've had a few different bowls of bò kho over the years.
You might want to consider tripe as a unique and chewy addition to set it apart from your ordinary Western stews.
I dug around a few minutes and these would make for good reference points.
Crock Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)
Bò kho is a Vietnamese beef stew that's pleasantly fragrant thanks to plenty of lemongrass. The slow cooker ensures a tender beef with little effort.