Mai Pham first began her career as a reporter but lucky for us, she returned to her first love: cooking. Now she's created a fabulous cookbook along with The Culinary Institute of America - THE FLAVORS OF ASIA (DK Publishing).
Pham - whose family originates from Vietnam, and then lived in Thailand - operates the acclaimed Lemon Grass Restaurant and Lemon Grass Asian Grill and Noodle Bar in Sacramento, California.
Her previous book, Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table, got a James Beard nod.
She is more than qualified to collect, adapt and present the recipes in this new anthology which provides delicious dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea, India and Singapore.
I was pleased to find this cookbook, as I am myself headed to Pham's homeland of Vietnam, taking along my trusty ROUGH GUIDE: VIETNAM. Through this book, I discovered that of the 83 million souls living there, 73 per cent still live in the countryside with most getting by on 50-cents a day!
Here is a recipe from Flavors of Asia, Hanoi Fish with Dill (Excerpt from Flavors of Asia Copyright 2009 Mai Pham/DK Publishing) and if you want to check out more of Pham's recipes, try out her Chicken Pho.
In Hanoi, this popular dish is typically cooked on a charcoal brazier right at the table with diners assembling their own bowls throughout the meal. In this adapted version, the catfish is first fried and then served on a bed of rice noodles with sautéed green onions and dill. Halibut or mahi mahi is also delicious in this recipe.
Hanoi Fish with Dill Recipe
SERVES 8
VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
- 8 Thai bird chiles
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 7 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons finely shredded carrotsm rinsed and patted dry
FISH
- 12 ounces (340 g) rice noodle vermicelli
- 1½ tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 cup julienned green onions
- ¼ cup Thai basil leaves, halved lengthwise
- 6 tablespoons cilantro leaves
- 1 cup dill sprigs, stemmed
- ¾ cup rice flour
- 1½ teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 cups vegetable oil
- 2 pounds 4 ounces (1 kg) catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) squares
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
Directions:
- For the dipping sauce: Slice 6 of the chiles into paper-thin rings and set aside for garnish. Mince the remaining chiles and transfer them to a medium bowl.
- Add the garlic, sugar, water, lime juice, and fish sauce. Whisk to dissolve the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrots. Let the sauce rest for 10 minutes.
- For the fish: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until they turn white and are soft, about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. While cooking, stir to loosen the noodles and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once they're cooked, drain and rinse thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan and stir-fry the green onions for 5 seconds or until they are just sweated. Add the basil, cilantro, and dill and stir-fry just until the herbs wilt, 30 to 45 seconds. Remove immediately and cool to room temperature.
- Combine the rice flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl.
- Heat the vegetable oil to 375°F (190°C) in a 3-quart (3-liter) pot.
- Toss the fish in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and immediately deep-fry until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
- Serve 3 pieces of the fish on a bed of about ¾ cup of the noodles. Top with ¼ cup of the herb mixture. Garnish with 1½ teaspoons of the roasted peanuts and ¼ teaspoon of the chile rings. Repeat with the remaining fish and serve with the Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.
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