Oc Xao Me is stir-fried sea snails with a sweet and sour tamarind sauce, topped with fried garlic and served with Vietnamese coriander (rau ram). This dish comes together quickly. In this recipe, I am using periwinkle sea snails. However, you can use this sauce for any type of sea snails or shellfish.
Read MoreCheese on grilled scallops? Gross, right? However, it was surprisingly delicious! I loved the savory and richness of the cheese on the the scallops. Plus, you have the amazing aroma from the scallion oil (Mo Hanh), light crunch from toasted peanuts and/or fried pork fat (Tep Mo), and the incredible flavor of the holy mother sauce, Vietnamese sweet chili dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham).
Read MoreStir-fried clams with ginger is a classic Vietnamese clam dish. Add a bit of black bean sauce and you'll get a classic Chinese Dim Sum dish. The fermented black bean sauce is incredibly salty so a little goes a long way. Because both the clams liquor and fermented black bean sauce are both salty, we have to balance out the flavors with quite a bit of sugar and/or hoisin sauce (a sweet sauce). Once you establish the perfect balance between sweet and salty in the dish, the result is amazingly delicious. Serve it by itself as an appetizer or with steamed rice as a complete entree.
Read MoreSimilar to Bun Rieu, Bun Oc is a rice noodle soup with a tomato-based broth that includes escargot and other proteins such as fried tofu, prawns, and fish cakes. It’s served with a plentiful platter of fragrant Vietnamese herbs, with fermented shrimp paste and chili oil on the side.
Read MoreMy favorite street food snack is sea snails in spicy coconut milk (Oc Len Xao Dua). Cooked in coconut milk with fresh lemongrass, garlic, Vietnamese Coriander (Rau Ram), and chili, this dish is packed full of flavors.
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