Passport & Plate - VietnaminAKL
New Zealand | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
For the Marinade
90 mls - Fish Sauce
25 mls - Sesame Oil
10 g - Palm Sugar
12 g - Grated Ginger
2 x - Small, hot chillis (grated/finely chopped)
1x - Small handful of corriander roots
600g - Rump Steak (trimmed/ Sirlion/Scotch
For the dipping Sauce
30 mls - Fish Sauce
15 mls - Rice Wine Vinegar
1 x - Small hot chilli finely diced or grated
10g - Grated Ginger
10g - Grated Palm Sugar
- squeeze of lemon (1/4-1/2 depending on your taste)
For the Vegatables
1/2 of one Red Cabbage shredded
1-2 small carrots (peeled back completely)
1 red capsicum - julienne/sliced finely
1 spring onion sliced length ways in 2-3 inch strips
Large handful of coriander (chopped)
Small handful of mint (sliced)
If desired - handful of basil/thai basil
1 packet vermicelli
How to prepare this recipeMix all the ingredients from the marinade in a medium sized bowl (big enough to fit sliced meat in). Set Aside.
Take the meat and slice it up into even sized pieces. Try to make them long slices and evenly sized. Avoid keeping any silver skin/tough bits. Once completely sliced put the meat into the bowl with marinade and mix well. Cover and set aside.
Now its down to chopping all of the vegetables. You can cut them to your preference however we think the following way works well.
Slice the red cabbage finely (chiffonade)
Peel back the skin of the carrot - remove it. Then continue with the peeler to peel long thin strips of carrot.
Take the red capsicum and cut around the stalk removing all four sides of flesh. Now cut the bottom flesh off (waste not want not).
Now slice the capsicum into fine slices (julienne)
Take one spring onion and slice it long ways - same as above
Coriander comes next, ensure its a large bunch - chop finely (here I sometimes use the roots in the marinade for the meat.
Mint also requires a chiffonade. Also with basil if you choose to use it.
Take the ingredients in the dipping sauce catatgory and mix well in a bowl. Transfer into serving ramekin with a spoon and place on table.Serve on the table as family service. Along with a bowl of warm water for dipping.
Cover the vermicelli in a bowl in hot water. In the mean time, take a hot wok/fry pan and heat with oil and a little sesame oil. Once smoking lightly or very hot take 1/2 of the meat and place it in the pan. Saute it. Once brown on one side take tongs and turn it.
Once it has reached your desired degree of cooking ( not long for rear) remove the meat, place in serving bowl and tip the sauce over it. May choose to wipe the pan clean at this stage. Repeat the last step with the remaining meat. Once complete add to the serving bowl.
Serve the meat on the table and dip one sheet of rice paper at a time to give people the beginnings of their meal - next its up to them. They can now go wild with the ingredients. Wrap tightly and pour over dipping sauce if desired. Delish!!
The story behind this recipeI thought long about whether I should enter this recipe – its rather unorthodox in that, he who eats it, makes it.This recipe was passed from a Vietnamese girl in a story where east truly meets west & it epitomises the way we love to eat. Between our busy lives we join as one group & share. Upon return to New Zealand after my OE I received warm welcome & a new resident in our family home. What we were gifted from this experience was rich exposure to other culture, a true introduction to Vietnamese flavors! During culture night Vietnam had the winning streak with G?i cu?n AKA summer rolls. Typically sold as street food these are something to remember! We use beef to fill our rolls opposed to the traditional pork & prawn combo. When we make it the flavors & smells emanating from the marinade scream south East Asian cooking. Suffice to say the marinade soaks into the meat giving the final dish truly authentic & delicious flavor. A favorite part of the meal is the dipping sauce.Becca adds flavors until the perfect flavor for her “mega tasting” lips is reached! A delightful concoction of sweet & sourness! It all seems to come together so speedily with many hands on deck. The irony here is that in this suburban AKL home theres 5 westerners making an Asian meal &the goings on are rather synonymous of the hussle & bussle of Vietnam.When all is complete the eager eaters scurry to the table & behold the meat. Cooked to perfection, succulent, full of flavor! The delicate rice paper is a blank canvas for each person’s meal,your own preference is your prerogative, the hardest part might be attempting to fit the large spring roll into ones mouth once it has been stuffed full with goodness! Not only is the meal exceptional we feel the company becomes that too, if only for a few hours at time! Our family & many others have Nu, a gentle Vietnamese girl to thank for the introduction to G?i cu?n. It’s true what they say, recipes are like hugs, & are no good till you pass them on.
