Monday, June 3, 2013

Bun Thit Nuong and Tom (Vermicelli with grilled pork and shrimp) and Almond Crusted Flounder



Last Friday was a very interesting dinner.  Just the fact that it went from one to another to another. I knew I had 2 pieces of pork chops in the fridge so I figured something simple and easy like pan fried pork chops and something for a side.  That is what I had in mind during the day.  Then my brother calls and he came over for dinner.  So he met me at HEB to pick up some seafood.  We grabbed some flounder and shrimp.  While at the market, Bun Thit Nuong and Tom (Vermicelli with grilled pork and shrimp) sounded great so I bought some daikon and a bag of shredded carrots to make Dau Chua (pickled carrots and daikon) as a topping.

On the way home from the market, Vietnamese Spring Rolls with peanut sauce sounded better.  By the time I got home, I was on the Vermicelli bowl again.  

I sliced the pork chop in thin slices and marinaded it with oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey.  The shrimp was simply tossed with five spice powder.  I let the pork and shrimp marinade while I prepped everything else.  In a bowl of Bun Thit Nuong, you are going to have shredded lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, vermicelli (noodles), dua chau and peanuts (did not have any). And the best part of it all, the Nuc Mam (Fish Sauce).  

The dua chau (pickled carrots and daikon) is very simple to make too.  Heat up some water with sugar and salt to warm.  Added the shredded carrots and daikon into the water and keep squeezing it until it gets soft.  Add some vinegar and seal it up.  Should be good to go by the time everything gets cooked.  I am sure there are other ways to do this, but this is my way of it and it comes out great.  

The fish sauce is made by boiling some water and sugar and adding pure fish sauce into.  Throw in a couple of closes of garlic and call it a day.  As I have mentioned before, fish sauce is either a hate or love kind of sauce.  There is no in between.  

As the vermicelli is being boiled, I pan seared the pork and set that aside.  Then I tossed in the shrimp and cooked that quickly.  

The final item to top it all off is some fried green onions.  This is easily done by heating up oil and turning the heat off and toss in the chopped green onions.  So simple, but it is so amazing.  

For my brother, I had to cook the fish we bought.  I found some super stale french bread in the fridge an a bag of almonds and threw it into the blender to make an almond bread crumb.  I pan fried it and it absolutely came out out great.

After flipping back and forth on what to cook that night, the end result was worth the headache!  





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