Le Yellow Sub Cha Gio Recipes

CHA GIO (VIETNAMESE FRIED SPRING ROLLS)

Steps:

• Soak the dried mung bean noodles in warm water (submerge them completely) for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, and cut into ¼ inch pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine the noodles, ground pork, grated carrot, chopped wood ear mushrooms, shallots, garlic, ginger egg white, fish sauce, vegetable oil, salt, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix until everything is uniformly combined.
• In a large, shallow bowl or deep plate, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in 1 cup warm water. Sugar is optional but does help the spring rolls to brown when frying.
• To wrap each roll, place a rice paper wrapper into the sugar water for about 5-10 seconds, making sure it is completely submerged. Remove it from the water. It will still be quite firm, but it will soften quickly!
• Place about 40g of filling in a log shape on one side of the wrapper. Begin tightly folding the wrapper over the filling (no air bubbles!), and roll the spring roll forward 1 complete revolution. Lightly press down on each end of the filling to flatten the rice paper and push the filling together to eliminate any air bubbles.
• Fold one side of the wrapper towards the middle of the spring roll. Repeat with the other side. Roll the spring roll forward while tucking in the front to prevent air pockets. The rice paper wrapper will stick to itself. It doesn't require anything additional to seal. Place the rolls on a plate or sheet pan lined with a clean, dry kitchen towel or parchment paper.
• Once wrapped, transfer the spring rolls to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour, so they can dry out and firm up. This step helps minimize the wrapper bubbling when frying (though bubbling is normal). Take them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before frying.
• Heat about 3 cups of canola or vegetable oil in a medium pot to 335°F/170°C (the oil level should be a little over halfway up the sides). Fry the spring rolls in small batches-about three at a time. Make sure they do not touch just after they are placed in the oil as the skins will be sticky until a crust forms. Cook each batch for 5 to 6 minutes, or until light golden brown. (Frying them in small batches prevents them from sticking to each other.)
• Use a metal slotted spoon to pull them out of the oil. Drain on a rack, and continue frying. Maintain the correct oil temperature by periodically adjusting your heat.
• When ready to serve, refry the spring rolls (yes, they need to be fried twice) at 350°F/175°C for 1 ½ to 2 minutes to make them nice and crispy. Double-frying is important! Serve with fresh lettuce, cilantro, Thai basil, mint and nuoc cham for dipping.

YIA YIA'S AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, salt, onion, carrots, celery, and water into a stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim away any scum that forms as the chicken simmers.
• Strain and reserve the broth in a clean pot. Pick the meat from the chicken, discarding the bones, skin, and vegetables. Cut the meat into small pieces, and set aside. Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat and stir in the orzo pasta. Let simmer 20 minutes.
• While the orzo is cooking, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the egg yolks until completely incorporated. Measure out 2 cups of the simmering broth, and combine it with the lemon juice. Slowly pour the lemon mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously until incorporated.
• When the orzo is nearly done, return the chicken meat to the soup, and cook until reheated. Stir in the egg mixture, stirring gently until incorporated into the soup. Serve immediately.

CHA YEN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil, and place a heatproof 1-quart pitcher in the sink. When the water boils, add the tea and remove the pan from the heat. The tea will float to the top until you stir gently to coax it into the water. When all of the tea leaves are wet, let it steep for 3 minutes.
• Pour the contents of the saucepan into the pitcher, and don't worry if the dregs are left behind. Pour the tea back and forth between the pitcher and the saucepan 7 times as it becomes darker and stronger, ending up with the tea in the saucepan. Rinse out the pitcher and strain the tea through a coffee filter back into the pitcher. Add the syrup and stir to dissolve. Cool to room temperature, cover and chill until serving time.
• To serve, fill tall glasses with crushed iced. Add 3/4 cup of the chilled Thai tea per glass. Top off each glass with 3 to 4 tablespoons evaporated milk. Serve as the milk cascades over the ice and swirls into the tea.
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer and cook until liquid has thickened and colored slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Pour the cooled syrup into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, cover, and store at room temperature for 1 week, or in the refrigerator for several weeks.

CHILAQUILES CHA CHA CHA

Steps:

• In a 12-inch pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
• For the tomatillo and orange tomato sauce:
• In a food processor, pulse ingredients for tomatillo sauce for 15 seconds. Do the same for the orange tomato sauce.
• For the tortilla chips:
• Cut the tortillas in half and cut each half into 4 triangles. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while hot.
• Add the salt, pepper, cumin and sauces to the pan. When sauce is hot, add the chips and the eggs and stir. Add the cheese just before serving. Garnish with cilantro.

BA-NAM'S CHA GIO

Steps:

• Put dried shrimp in a small bowl and cover to a depth of 1 inch with warm water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Do the same with the mushrooms and noodles.
• Pick over and shred crabmeat, removing shell and cartilage.
• Mix crabmeat and pork together in a large bowl. Add carrot, onion, garlic and black pepper, mixing well with your hands.
• Drain shrimp, chop coarsely and add to pork mixture.
• Drain mushrooms well, slice thinly and add to pork.
• Drain noodles, squeezing to remove all water. Chop into pieces no more than 1 inch in length and add to pork.
• Using your hands, mix everything together very well. Ba-Nam adds a little cornstarch if the mixture does not seem to adhere. When well mixed, set aside for 15 minutes.
• Take a deep pie plate into which a rice paper will fit comfortably and fill it with hot water. Dip a rice paper in water to soften it and spread it gently on a clean dry surface such as a cutting board. Put about 3 tablespoons of pork mixture, roughly shaped like a fat cigar, on the edge of the rice paper nearest you. Flip that edge over pork, then fold sides of rice paper toward center over the stuffing. Roll up securely. The damp rice paper will adhere to itself. You should have a firm and compact roll. Set aside on a plate and proceed with the rest of the rice papers.
• The cha gio may be prepared ahead of time up to this point but if you are going to keep them longer than 15 minutes or so, cover the plate with a dampened towel and refrigerate.
• To serve, arrange lettuce, cucumber and carrot attractively on a plate. Wash coriander and mint and remove thick stems. Arrange on the plate. Have a small saucer or bowl of nuoc cham at each place setting.
• Heat 2 cups of oil to the point that a bread cube browns quickly and rises to the surface. (A wok is preferable but a sauce pan with high sides will do. The oil should be at a depth of about 2 1/2 inches.) Add cha gio to hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve cha gio on a bed of lettuce. (If they are large, cut into 2 or 3 pieces.) Pass vegetable plate separately. Each diner takes a lettuce leaf and rolls it around a cha gio, adding mint, coriander and so on as desired. Dip into nuoc cham before eating and in between bites.