Cheese 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 MoreWe opted for a seafood boil this Thanksgiving. It’s quicker to make and everyone enjoys grabbing their favorite seafood. We did King crab legs, clams, large shrimp, sausage and sweet corn. The sauce that brought everything together was a fiery and buttery garlic lemon pepper. Everything came together in under 30 minutes. If you have half an hour to spare, you too can make a feast fit for a King.
Read MoreSoft Tofu Stew or Sundubu Jjigae is a spicy Korean stew made with really ripe and sour kimchi and a rich anchovy-based broth. The broth is flavored with soy sauce, Korean red pepper flakes (Gochugaru) and Korean hot pepper paste (Gochujang). Pork, beef, tofu, and/or seafood are added for different variations.
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 MoreThese here are steamed clams with an Asian twist. I added ginger for zing and chili paste for kick. I used rice wine instead of white wine and fish sauce instead of salt. I also added bacon fat to give the clams some extra body and flavor. Bacon fat isn't an Asian ingredient but it is a universal truth that everything tastes better with bacon fat.
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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