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Next week, Nhut Huynh's first book 'Little Vietnam' will be released...
Please join us on Wednesday 1 July to meet the author, taste from the book & celebrate Nhut's authentic & award-winning Vietnamese cuisine
The evening starts at 7pm, is free, & will feature tastes from the book & glass of wine.
Nhut Huynh was born in Soc Trang in the south of Vietnam, and
came to Australia as a refugee in 1984. Starting work as a kitchenhand,
he was soon offered a chef's apprenticeship, after which he worked in
various commercial kitchens around Sydney. In 2002, he and his business
partner, Jeremy McNamara, opened their first venture, RQ Restaurant in
Surrey Hills. After five busy years and much critical acclaim, they
made the decision to close the restaurant to focus on Snakebean Asian
Diner, their casual eatery in the heart of Oxford Street, and their
successful catering business.
Little Vietnam brings together 80 authentic recipes that capture the energy, colour and excitement of Vietnamese cooking. Chef Nhut Huynh shares his passion for the food
that sustained his family during times of war and separation, and that
remains a defining feature of Vietnam's wonderfully rich culture. He
introduces traditional classics alongside the eclectic street-stall
dishes he has collected on his many trips back to visit friends and
family. You will learn how to cook restaurant favourites such
as Beef Noodle Soup and Salt & Pepper Squid, Chicken Rice Noodle Soup (pictured & with recipe below) as well as more exotic
dishes like Crab with Tamarind & Chilli. Throughout, Nhut offers practical tips on sourcing ingredients and mastering cooking techniques.
Beautifully
photographed, this book will inspire you to re-create the food so many of us
have enjoyed as travellers or in the Vietnamese restaurants that are
now so much a part of Australian life.
Bookings are essential.
Please only book if you are definitely coming as we only have 30 places & it is unfair to the rest of our valued customers who would otherwise like to attend.
If you can't attend, signed & personalised copies can be organised for you or your friends & family - just contact us! |
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Chicken Rice Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)*
ORIGIN: SOUTH VIETNAM
SERVES 4-6 AS PART OF A SHARED FEAST
Traditionally, people in Vietnam try to return to the family home on
weekends to share a meal with the extended family, and a satisfying
noodle soup like this one would often take pride of place on the table.
When I was a boy, it was my eldest brother's job to select a chicken
from our coop, then prepare it for one of our sisters to cook.
To this
day, my sisters still make this dish when we all get together in
Australia, and I especially enjoy it as I find it a delicate
alternative to the more strongly seasoned beef soups. The daikon radish
gives the soup a lovely earthy flavour, while the ginger adds an
aromatic touch. You'll need to cook the chicken for the garnish in
advance using the white-cooked method (see page 42).
The stock
for this soup can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for
up to three days or in the freezer for three months.
2 kg chicken bones, washed and dried
50g ginger, roughly chopped
1 small onion, unpeeled and halved
half a small daikon radish (about 200 g), cut into 5 cm pieces
100ml fish sauce
60g rock sugar or granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Infusion bag
3 Chinese cardamom pods, bruised
2 pieces cassia bark
4 star anise
Serving garnishes
150g fresh round rice noodles
1 x white-cooked chicken (see recipe for Chicken Salad on page 421), bones discarded and meat shredded chopped Thai basil and coriander leaves, chopped green onion, thinly
sliced red onion, chopped fresh red chillies, bean sprouts, lime wedges
and fish sauce, to serve
For the infusion bag, wrap spices in a piece of muslin, then tie with kitchen string to secure.
Place chicken bones and 5 litres of water in a large stockpot, then
bring to the boil over high heat, skimming frequently. Reduce heat to
low and simmer, skimming frequently, for 40 minutes.
Add ginger, onion, daikon and infusion bag to stock and continue to
simmer over low heat for 2 hours, occasionally skimming the surface to
remove impurities. If you find the liquid is evaporating quickly, add
some boiling water to top up the stock. Remove and discard chicken
bones, then add fish sauce, sugar and salt and cook for another 30
minutes. Strain stock into a clean pan and keep warm.
Place noodles on a plate in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds on
high or until hot (or blanch in a saucepan of boiling water until
tender] then drain and divide among 4-6 bowls. Add about half a  cup
shredded chicken meat to each bowl, then pour over some hot stock and
serve with chopped herbs, green onion, red onion, chillies, bean
sprouts, lime wedges and fish sauce to the side for people to add as
they like.
*(taken from Little Vietnam - copyright Nhut Hyunh & Penguin Australia)
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