Egg Cream Coffee (Cà Phê Trung)
What can be said about Halong Bay that hasn’t already been said? The two nights I spent aboard a traditional junk boat were some of the most peaceful I had enjoyed in a long time. I enjoyed trips out to some awe-inspiring cave systems, a pearl farm and squid fishing off the back of the boat. A wonderful experience.
But before I knew it, it was on to crazy, hazy Hanoi. Hanoi too wasn’t without its charms, but as is usual for me the greatest treat was food-related. On the second night I took part in a food tasting walk that exposed me to some of the more obscure and unusual Vietnamese foods. My guide, a bright young food student, who one day hopes to write a book herself, was supremely enthusiastic and went above and beyond in order to show me what her city had to offer. The finale, so to speak, was a comfortable spot in her uncle’s cafe where we enjoyed a peculiar-sounding delicacy – egg coffee – made from a recipe of her own creation no less.
When I first heard of egg coffee I couldn’t help but envisage some sulphur-scented monstrosity. In reality, what you get is good strong coffee topped with a heavenly sweet foam – like a lighter, richer, more fragrant cappuccino. Each taste is like taking a frothy sip of liquid tiramisu. The separate layers of dark, bitter coffee and sweet cream contrast each other beautifully, and play a back-and-forth dance on your tastebuds as you drink it. It really is that good!
Level: low
Methods: whisking
Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 cups
Ingredients
4 heaped tablespoons Vietnamese coffee grounds (or 6tbsp of any dark roast)
800ml boiling water
4 egg yolks
6tbsp condensed milk
1tsp golden granulated sugar
½tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Pour some boiling water into your cafetiere and leave for a few minutes to warm.
2. Discard the water. Add in the coffee grounds along with 800ml of fresh boiling hot water. Stir, affix the lid and leave to percolate.
3. Meanwhile place the egg yolks in a bowl and use an electric whisk to whip the egg yolks until fluffy. About two minutes.
4. Add in the condensed milk, sugar and vanilla. Whisk for a few minutes longer to achieve a pale, frothy foam.
5. Divide the mixture into four coffee cups.
6. Depress the cafetiere and pour a quarter of the coffee into each cup. The foam will colour slightly, but should stay floating on the surface.
7. Drink!
Destination #48 / Hanoi & Halong Bay, Vietnam
Bun Cha
Hoi An, approximately halfway up Vietnam, is a haven for backpackers. About halfway between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, this small bohemian town is brimming over with creativity and couldn’t be more different from the heaving cities that bookend the country. Most famous for its bespoke tailors, there are plenty of artisans perfecting their crafts and selling their wares.
For me, the two things that stand out in Hoi An are the lanterns and the food. On one particularly laid-back evening spent mooching around the city, I had one of my most memorable experiences. Tucked away at the back of an innocuous looking bookstore, was a staircase that led to a beautiful rooftop restaurant. On the roof, next to the bar was a huge tree that was festooned with festively coloured paper lanterns that lit up the dining space. As the sun set and the lights came on across the town I has my first taste of Bun Cha.
Traditionally Bun Cha is attributed to Hanoi, but it was here that I sampled the best version. Most often, Bun Cha comprises of noodles, salad and grilled pork patties dressed with an acidic sauce. But at this divine spot in Hoi An, the sauce was flavoured more delicately and served apart from the noodles, allowing you to season the dish your own way. There was also extra texture provided in the form of crisply rendered strips of unctuous pork belly. It is this ultimate variant that I attempt to recreate here.
Level: medium
Methods: frying
Skills: caramel, marinading
Time: 45 minutes (with 90 minutes chilling time)
Makes: serves 4
Ingredients
For the pork:
2tbsp caster sugar
5tbsp water
1 large shallot, chopped vey finely
3tbsp fish sauce
¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
200g pork mince
200g pork belly
For the sauce:
2tbsp fish sauce
2tbsp rice vinegar
1tsp soft light brown sugar
250ml water
½tsp garlic, puréed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2tbsp green papaya, cut into small, thin slices (carrot can be used in its place)
To serve:
400g thin rice noodles
100g mixed salad leaves, torn roughly
50g selection of Asian herbs (mint, coriander, etc.)
Method
1. In a small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 3 tablespoons of the water and cook over high heat until a dark brown caramel forms; around 8 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold water, swirling the pot. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shallot, fish sauce and pepper. Then add the caramel sauce and stir.
4. Pour half of the marinade over the pork mince and half over the pork belly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the sauce in a large mixing bowl.
6. When the pork is ready, remove from the refrigerator. Shape the mince into small patties, about eight in all.
7. Heat a cast iron griddle pan to high.
8. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on their package. Drain, then rinse under cold water to halt the cooking process.
9. Meanwhile, cook the pork patties until slightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Then cook the pork belly slices for 2-3 minutes.
10. Spoon the sauce into four bowls, then place the pork over the sauce. Place the herbs and salad in one large communal bowl and the noodles into another large communal bowl.
11. To eat, dip some of the noodles into the sauce and eat with the pork and herbs.
Destination #47 / Hoi An, Vietnam
Banh Xeo – Sizzling Pancakes
My group tour culminated in Ho Chi Minh City, a loud bustling metropolis, alive with a cacophony of honking scooters and street hawkers. Whilst there, we visited the Cu Chi tunnels, a network of claustrophobic, labyrinthine, underground Vietcong tunnels.
Prior to this however, we had visited a homestay in Can Tho near the Mekong Delta. During this time we took to the waters to visit the floating markets, learnt how to make rice noodles and even had the opportunity to help make Banh Xeo with the ladies of the family. Banh Xeo are crisp pancakes made from turmeric tinted rice flour batter. They are so named for the loud sizzling they emit whilst being fried to a crisp golden finish. The pancakes are traditionally stuffed with pork, beansprouts, salad leaves and herbs.
During my stay in Vietnam I sampled several regional variations of this popular street food dish. All of them featured pork in some manner including pork loin, pork belly and minced pork. In order to make this recipe cheaper and easier to recreate I have chosen to use streaky bacon as it cooks through quickly and is cheaper than pork belly – which proved to be my favourite. Feel free to make any substitutions you like, but remember to add a couple of minutes of cooking time if using thicker cuts.
Level: medium
Methods: frying
Skills: novel batter
Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 8-10 pancakes
Ingredients
150g rice flour
1tsp turmeric powder
1tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
500ml water
2tbsp coconut cream (optional)
4tbsp rapeseed oil
24 prawns, shelled and vein removed, halved
200g unsmoked streaky bacon (or preferred alternative), cut into thin slices
2 spring onions
200g beansprouts
To serve:
Baby spinach
Watercress
Mint
Fresh coriander
Chilli dipping sauce
Method
1. In a large mixing bowl combine the rice flour, turmeric, salt and pepper.
2. Slowly add the water, whisking all the time, until you reach the consistency of crepe batter (you may not need all the water.) Whisk in the coconut cream if using.
3. Set batter aside to rest for 15 minutes.
4. When ready, heat a non-stick crepe pan over a high heat and add ½ tbsp of oil.
5. Add some strips of bacon and 5-6 shrimp halves. Do not stir.
6. When the oil begins to smoke, pour some batter into the pan, swirling around until the whole base is covered by a thin layer.
7. After one minute, reduce the heat and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges of the crepe are crisp and turning a deep caramel brown.
8. Flip the crepe and cook the second side for 1 minute.
9. Flip the crepe again and sprinkle some spring onions and beansprouts into the centre. Fold the crepe in two to steam the vegetables. After 1 minute, transfer to a serving dish.
10. Cook the other pancakes in a similar manner. These can be kept warm in a low oven, but are best enjoyed fresh from the pan – sorry the cook eats last.
11. When served, fill each crepe with the salad leaves and some fresh mint and coriander.
Destination #46 / Cân Tho Homestay & Ho Chi Minh City
Poat Dot (Cambodian Barbecued Corn)
Shianoukville is a idyllic coastal town in the south west of Cambodia. The town was named after the popular monarch and political figure Norodom Shianouk. Like many of the similar towns I have visited, the proximity to the ocean meant that a lot of the activities were water-based including a highly enjoyable boat trip to a remote island, where we relaxed in the crystal clears waters, sunbathed on the beach and snorkled above forests of coral and schools of colourful fish.
The majority of the foods we enjoyed were prepared over a smoking hot charcoal barbecue, which added to the laid back vibe of the location. Various meats and seafoods were prepared in this way using a subtley spicy, smokey and sweet marinade that had much in common with the western marinades we use. More interesting however was the popular streetfood Poat Dot – a griddled corn cob basted in a richly aromatic and salty sauce, which burnishes slightly when cooked, adding a delicious contrast to the moist sweet kernels. I have chosen to tailor this recipe to be cooked indoors (at any time of year) using a cast iron griddle pan. Alternatively these can be cooked over a charcoal or gas barbecue in the traditional Cambodian way.
Level: low
Methods: griddling/barbecuing
Skills: reduced basting sauce
Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 6 cobs
Ingredients
6 ears corn, husks removed
2tbsp vegetable oil
2tbsp fish sauce
2tbsp water
2tsp salt
2tbsp coconut milk
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Method
1. Preheat an ungreased cast-iron griddle pan over a medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl stir together the fish sauce, water, sugar and salt until it is dissolved.
3. Heat the 2tbsp of oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Pour the liquid mixture in – watch out it may spit!
4. Add the spring onions, garlic and coconut cream. Simmer until it has started to thicken, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
5. Place the corn cobs in the griddle pan and cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, until the kernels are tender and starting to char. This takes about ten minutes.
6. Baste the corn with some of the sauce and continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat, baste one last time and sprinkle over some fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley. Serve.
Destination #45 / Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Amok Fish
The Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh was next on the itinerary. A city of high contrast – I witnessed the grandiose splendour of the Grand Palace as well as the dirty, rough and tumble of the night markets. But for me Phnom Penh will only be about one thing. A day spent investigating the Khmer Rouge, including a trip to the killing fields and S-21 prison. The things I learnt that day would make for a chillingly haunting anecdote, even among best friends, so writing of it here on a food blog seems somehow inappropriate. However I was fortunate enough to meet an elderly gentleman, who was one of just seven people (out of 20,000 inmates) to leave S-21 alive and survive the hideous atrocities committed there. Meeting that man I was struck by his immense bravery at returning to the site where he was tortured every day, in order to make a living and educate visitors. His warm, contented smile reminded me of the indomitable nature of the human spirit. And while hard to process that is a story everyone should hear.
After that experience, it was understandable than many of us just wanted to relax. We visited a local restaurant where I ate a great many delightful foods. My favourite was the Fish Amok. Amok is a classic Khmer dish; a pale, delicately aromatic, lightly citrusy curry. What makes amok different to the other curries I have posted, is the addition of egg. In some regions of Cambodia, several eggs are added and the resulting curry steamed in banana leaves to produce a set mousse like texture. Here though I have added only one egg, which helps to thicken and enrich the sauce, without causing it to coagulate fully. Serve the amok with rice on the side and a sprinkling of julienned red bell pepper, chilli or kaffir lime leaf.
Level: medium
Skills: curry paste
Time: 40 minutes
Makes: Serves 2 hungry people
Ingredients
Curry Paste:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, ends trimmed, finely chopped
½ inch piece galangal, finely chopped
1 red birds eye chilli, seeds removed
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1tsp tumeric powder
1tsp light brown sugar, packed
1tsp salt
Amok:
1tbsp vegetable oil
½tsp shrimp paste (optional)
210g coconut milk, well blended
1tbsp white sugar
1tsp salt
300g deboned mild white fish – like halibut or cod, skin removed
75g fresh spinach leaves, cut into ribbons
1 egg
1tbsp fish sauce
Method
1. Make the curry paste with a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
2. Start by pulverising the garlic, shallot, lemongrass, galangal, chilli and lime leaves into a smooth paste.
3. Add the turmeric, sugar and salt. Combine well.
4. Thinly slice the fish into ½-inch thick bite size pieces and set aside.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat.
6. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the shrimp paste, coconut milk, sugar and salt, whisking to combine.
8. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
9. Add the fish and spinach leaves, gently folding the fish into the curry sauce with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
10. Allow to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Turn the heat off.
11. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of the curry sauce from the pan.
12. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and gently fold it into the curry. This thickens and enriches the sauce.
13. Serve the amok immediately with rice and a garnish of red pepper.
Mastication / Destination 