All posts tagged: seafood

Fried Prawns in a Tamarind Sauce / Tôm Rang Me

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Fried prawns in a tamarind sauce or tôm rang me is a popular dish especially for those living on the coast. The fresh prawns are fried and then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce made from tamarind to offset the greasiness of the oil. This humble dish is finger licking good. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30-45 minutes to create. Ingredients: 10 giant prawns 1 block of fresh tamarind 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of ground annatto 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 2 cups and 1 tablespoon of water 5 tablespoons of sugar ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper Vegetable oil for frying Garnish with spring onions and Cilantro Directions: Sprinkle ½ a teaspoon of salt on top of the shrimps. Mix to incorporate the salt among the shrimps. This process will help remove excess moisture from the prawns. Break the tamarind block into smaller chunks. Soak the tamarind block with 2 cups of water for approximately 15 minutes or until the …

Fish Taco with Tumeric and Dill

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Tacos are very popular in the states and the trend has been to mix the Mexican traditional taco with Asian ingredients. This combination have been a huge hit with a fusion of Korean bbq and Mexican food. This trend inspired  me to create a Vietnamese version of the fish taco based off of a traditional northern dish comprise of fish with turmeric and dill or  chả cá thì là. This recipe change the traditional sauce and the accompaniment to create a fusion fish taco. I tested this recipes on 4 teenagers and they could not get enough of it. This is a bonafide crowd pleaser for your next gathering. This recipe serves 6 and is rated medium in difficulty. This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare and require marinating the fish for at least 1 hour. Ingredients: 2 pounds of tilapia filet or any other firm white fish of your choice 2 large bunches of dill 3 stalks of spring onion 1 tablespoon of lemongrass 2 tablespoons of minced garlic ½ of diced yellow or …

Lobster Curry Bouillabaisse 

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Lobsters is a treat anytime of the year, but more so in the summer when they are abundant. I grew up eating lobsters boiled and served with butter. As I got exposed to more cuisines such as New England seafood stew and French bouillabaisse, I can’t help but play with lobster and the Vietnamese flavor profile. My mom and I came up with this recipe using our love of lobster and traditional curry soup blend with some western influences. Try out this crowd pleasing lobster curry bouillabaisse at your next gathering. This recipe is rated easy and take 30-45 minutes to make. Ingredients: 2 lobsters (1.5 lbs each) 1 14 fl oz can of coconut milk 1 14 fl oz can of chicken broth 1 teaspoon of minced ginger 3 teaspoons of soy sauce 3 tablespoons of Madras curry 2 tablespoons of sake (Kwang Tung Miju – Chinese Sake) 2 large shallots (4 halves) 4 Scallions 2 tablespoons of red onion 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 4 red Thai chili 4 yellow sweet peppers 1 …

Steamed Clams with Lemongrass, Thai Basil and Ginger

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When summer comes around, I automatically think of all the good seafood that are available. One very simple and fragrant dish that can serve a crowd is the classic steamed clams with lemongrass, Thai basil and ginger. The clams are then dipped into a a mixture of salt, pepper and lime juice. This dish is an easy summer delight for those nights when you do not want to cook over a hot stove for hours. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30 minutes. Ingredients: 50 Littleneck clams 4 Stalks of lemongrass 1 very large ginger 1 Tablespoon of rock sugar A few red Thai chili for a hint of spice 5-6 stalks of Thai basil 1 Lime Salt and ground pepper for the dipping sauce Directions: Cut the lemongrass stalks into 3 parts and discard the thin ends (shown tied with a rubber band). Split the thick white part of the lemongrass in half. Cut the ginger into thick slices. Break the basil into 3 pieces and discard the ends. In a large and deep …

Blue Crabs Sauté in a Roe Sauce

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The northern Atlantic coast is known for its blue crabs. While vacationing in Virginia Beach, my family went to the fish market called the Shellfish Company and bought fresh blue crabs right off of the boat. My Aunt Qua created this simple and easy dish for us. Needless to say, the taste testers ate all of the crabs as soon as they were prepared. This recipe is rated easy and serves 4 people. Ingredients: 6 female blue crabs (as you will need the roe) 1/4 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 3/4 teaspoon of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon of pepper 1/3 cup of yellow onion 3 cloves of garlic (approximately 2 tablespoons) 1 stalk of scallion 1 Thai Chili Directions: Prepare the crabs Twist the tail off of the crab and discard. Snap off the claws and legs. Use a towel and pull apart the shell of the crab and get rid of the grey, furry-looking thing (the lungs). One side of the shell will have the body of the crab. The other side will …

Phu Quoc’s Squid Simmered in Lemongrass, Pineapple and Thai Basil Sauce

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Phu Quoc is known for their sweet tasting squids.  You can see the locals fishing for these jewels right at the dock.  They taste incredibly sweet due to the pristine water surrounding the island.  We were lucky to have these local treats cooked by our first mate on our boat. Click on the link here to read all about our adventures in Phu Quoc. In today’s post, we will recreate the classic Phu Quoc’s style squid simmered in a lemongrass, pineapple and thai basil sauce.  This is a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party because it is so simple. All you have to do is put it together and let it simmer before you serve. This recipe serves 2 people and is rated easy. Ingredients 1 pound of whole squids (cleaned, remove all of the guts) ½ cup of large sliced lemongrass (substitute with frozen lemongrass, available at asian supermarkets in the frozen food aisle) ½ cup of cubed pineapple (from can) ½ cup of diced Thai Basil 1 cup of water 1 …

Shrimp and Daikon Radish Soup

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In my family, a typical dinner often includes some sort of vegetable soup. Vietnamese cuisine veers toward numerous vegetable and herbs.  Soup broths are typically made of bones, meat, seafood or vegetables.  The bones based broths are for the long simmered noodles soups such as pho, hu tieu, and bun.  The meat, seafood or vegetables are typically the basis for everyday home cooking.  My mom would make this shrimp and daikon radish soup very quickly. We would have a nutritious and healthy dinner in no time.  You can use this shrimp based broth with different types of vegetables. Ingredients: ½ lb of shrimp 1 large daikon radish 1-2 stalk of scallion 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder ½ teaspoon of sugar ⅛ teaspoon of salt ⅛ teaspoon of pepper ¼ of a yellow onion, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon of chili powder (I use the Korean version as the chili is sweeter and the heat is not as intense as others.  The goal is to add color and depth to the soup.) Directions: Remove the …

Phu Quoc’s Razor Clams in a Tamarind Sauce

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Another fantastic dish that takes me back to the beach is razor clams sauteed in tamarind sauce.  This dish is sweet, sour and just finger licking good.  We used razor clams for this dish but you can use any large shellfish. The trick is to get a type of shellfish where the shell will hold the sauce.  For every bite, you get both the sauce and the meat.  You first saw this dish in our Weekend Unexplored: Phu Quoc’s post. Today we will recreate that dish for you. This dish serves two people and is rated easy. Ingredients Protein: A dozen clams of your choice Sauce: ½ cup of wet tamarind paste (tamarind paste is usually sold in blocks at any Asian supermarket.) ½ cup of rough chopped Thai basil, culantro, cilantro mix (reserve some for garnishing) 4 red whole chili peppers for flavor (leave them whole as the seeds will increase the spiciness level) 3 cloves of garlic minced ½ cup of can pineapple chunks ½ cup of water 3 tablespoon of pineapple syrup juice …

Phu Quoc’s Grilled Shellfish with Herbs and Crushed Peanuts

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Vietnam is surrounded by seas and filled with rivers bringing with it an abundance of freshwater and saltwater seafood.  Last week, Thai-Anh took you on her weekend in Phu Quoc where seafood is cooked in its most simplistic form to highlight the freshness and taste of the sea. One of the easiest dishes to make that she had while staying in Phu Quoc was grilled clams with herbs.  Like most Vietnamese cuisine, this simple dish has a melodic combination of herbs, crunchiness and of course, chewy clams.  Here is our recreation of this classic and very easy dish from Phu Quoc. Ingredients   Shellfish: 2 pounds  of any type of large shellfish (clams and oysters).  Use the larger variety if you are putting them directly on the grill. Toppings: 1 cup of culantro finely chopped (Culantro has long, serrated leaves and is used often in Caribbean, Mexican and Asian cooking.) 1 cup of cilantro finely chopped 1 cup of Thai basil finely chopped (i.e. Asian basil. It is a variety of sweet basil commonly used …