Oh fresh fried shallots! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways….Fried shallots are an essential part of Vietnamese cuisine. They are used on so many different dishes, and they add another level of taste that completely transform a Vietnamese dish from amazing to spectacular. Every time my husband sees fried shallots anywhere (on tv, or in person), he’ll say “hey! it’s you!”—as if I’m a living and breathing fried shallot? LOL. Aside from making fried shallots for my favorite Vietnamese dishes, I love using them everyday meals too—sprinkled on top of steamed wontons, tossed on a refreshing salad, even on some creamy mashed potatoes. Fried shallots are everything. I pretty much make them on a weekly basis. The reason why I choose to make my own (and refrain from purchasing them in a jar from the supermarket) is because 1) I love the taste so much more. There is a slight sweetness that doesn’t exist in the readily available ones at your local Vietnamese grocer, and 2) If I can avoid eating something that involves preservatives, I will do it. My diet isn’t perfect, but I’m super conscious about what I put in my body, and will do what I can to minimize ingesting foods with preservatives where I can. There are so many recipes out there, and I get overwhelmed trying to read them to compare to my own, so I don’t. I feel like people make it more complicated than necessary. Understand that it will take you several tries before you get it perfectly right, but if you make it often enough, you’ll be able to do it naturally and quickly, without even thinking about it (eventually). Some tips I have before you get started:

• Purchase a Japanese mandoline slicer. It is useful in so many ways, and will provide a precise and consistent slice, so that your shallots cook more evenly. I use my mandoline for so many things—not just for slicing shallots (there are a variety of blades available for different functions). I love my Benriner brand mandoline. It is a great investment, and costs an affordable $40. If you don’t have a mandoline, thinly slicing with a knife will do. Just try to slice as consistently as possible (you want it to be between 1/16” - 1/8” thin)

• Speaking of using a mandoline, purchase cut resistant gloves (see photo below)! These are amazing, and actually also useful for other tasks, like shucking oysters, for example. I use these gloves with my mandoline, and can slice quickly and briskly without fear of injuring myself. It makes prep time so much faster.

• Many recipes say that you should dry out your shallots, or microwaving to remove moisture from them before frying. I don’t find this step necessary. My easy technique makes crispy fried shallots that stay crispy for a week. Now there are some times where I will pre-slice them, and leave them the fridge overnight for a day or two. In the process they will lose a little moisture that way and come out more crispy, so that’s an option (I do this to cut down preparation time on the day of cooking a specific meal).

• I’m not providing a specific time frame for cooking, as it really all depends on the power of your cooking range, among other factors. Typically my batch will take about 16 minutes to cook. Simply monitor your shallots, mixing every few minutes over medium high heat. Make sure the oil covers just the top of the shallots, and nothing more. I don’t like using a thermometer when cooking—that’s when it gets a little too technical for me. I believe in monitoring and eyeing things. It’s all about the cooking experience, and allowing your skills to evolve naturally, rather than trying to get it perfect every first/second/third time.

• It is very easy to overcook them, which is why monitoring is key. Overcooking them will make for a bitter taste, and undercooking them will turn out a less crispy result. You have to get that middle of the road medium-golden color. And remember that it may take you several tries before you get it right, so be patient with yourself, and don’t be upset if you do it wrong the first few times.

• Once it reaches that perfect medium-golden color, immediately turn off the heat and strain, because the batch will continue cooking if you leave it in the oil. Fried shallots are time sensitive.

HOMEMADE FRESH FRIED SHALLOTS (HANH PHI)

Degree of difficulty: 2 (on a scale of 1-5)

Preparation time (15 minutes to peel and slice)

Cooking time: Roughly 16+/- minutes (depending on various factors); Monitoring is key.

YOU’LL NEED

• A mandoline slicer (I prefer Benriner brand Japanese mandoline slicer)

• 2.5 qt saucepan

• A heat safe bowl (I prefer to use one with a spout, for easy pouring for later use)

• A strainer

INGREDIENTS (makes about 1 full cup of fried shallots)

•  2 cups of thinly sliced shallots (5-6 medium sized shallot bulbs, peeled, and very thinly sliced )

•  1.5 cups of high temperature, neutral cooking oil, like safflower (my preferred oil) or grape seed oil. These two oils give off a better tasting fried shallot—it’s a lightly sweeter taste profile that I prefer and recommend.

DIRECTIONS (cooking time = roughly 15-16 minutes)

1.  Heat up 1.5 cups of neutral cooking oil on high heat in a 2.5 qt saucepan (or similar). Allow about 4 minutes for it to begin pre-heat and begin shimmering. Once it is shimmering, you’re now ready to add your shallots.

2. Add in your sliced shallots, and use chopsticks or a spoon to evenly distribute the shallots throughout the saucepan. The oil should cover the shallots just at the surface.

3. There are many factors that determine how long you should fry the shallots. Everyone’s stove is different, whether it be electric or gas. I don’t cook with a thermometer (makes things too complicated and uptight), but rather I will monitor the shallots while they are cooking. You can leave them alone for about 10 minutes, but once you reach that ten-minute mark, you’ll want to begin monitoring your shallots. Every few minutes (after the ten minutes), use your chopsticks or a spoon to stir the shallots up so that they will all cook evenly (since different parts of the pan may cook faster). Continue doing this until your shallots are a medium-golden brown. Mine tend to take about 16 minutes, give or take. Turn off the heat, and immediately strain the shallots, pouring over a heat safe bowl using a strainer to gather the shallots. 

4. Transfer the contents of the strainer over to a bed of napkins, and make sure to spread the shallots out, so that the oil is absorbed well.

5. Allow the shallots to cool before eating, or transferring to an airtight jar.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

*The shallots can be eaten up to a week from day of cooking.

Who doesn’t love egg rolls? I know I’d never turn one down. There is a lot of confusion over the name though. Up here in New York, these are called ‘spring rolls’, not ‘egg rolls’. And what we’d call spring rolls in my hometown of Houston, are considered ‘summer rolls’ up here. If we’re being technical, it really has to do with the type of wrapper you roll with. Traditional ‘egg roll’ wrappers are very thick and very crispy, and dipped in egg for richness. You will see these types of wrappers used with Chinese egg rolls. The result is a very thick and bubbly textured roll. In Vietnam, you’ll see layers of very thin rice sheets used (they’re absolutely delectable, by the way). I grew up using this specific type of thin flour based wrapper, and even though the packaging says ‘spring roll wrapper’, I’ll always call them ‘egg rolls’. This is just the way it is in Vietnamese culture. Confusing. Listen, all of them are called ‘egg rolls’ if they’re deep fried. It’s an unspoken understanding.

The recipe is based off of many of the different ways my mom has made egg rolls at home in the past. I pretty much know how to do this with my eyes closed—I’ve helped her so many times in the kitchen, after all. My recipe is simple, but absolutely tasty. The wonderful thing about egg rolls is that they are delicious in every way they are made. You can add other veggies like cabbage or jicama. You can also add crab, or skip seafood altogether (my recipe uses pork and shrimp). You can even make them vegetarian with a variety of veggies and tofu (the ones served at Buddhist temples are ah-mazing. There are no rules. After years of making my own egg rolls here in New York, I’ve concocted what I consider to be my perfect recipe, and I’m sharing it below with you all.This time around, I used my friend Cassie’s recommendation to spread the mix evenly in a pan, and then divide it into equal parts for an overall size consistency. Some would call this insanity. I call it commitment to the aesthetic. It’s actually very therapeutic, but know that you can skip this step if it’s too much for you. Simply scoop the mix from the bowl onto the wrapper, and arrange it horizontally (pictured below).

So I’ve started adding the degree of difficulty for each recipe. Everything will be scale between 1-5, 5 being the most difficult. But seriously, don’t be intimidated by numbers. Just take your time, allow yourself to make mistakes, and most importantly, enjoy the process. It will always turn out beautifully if it is made with care, attention, and love.

VIETNAMESE EGG ROLLS RECIPE (Chả Giò)

Degree of difficulty: 3 (on a scale of 1-5)

Preparation time (45 min-1 hour)

Cooking time: 6-7 egg rolls per batch for a 1.1L compact deep fryer - fry for 7 minutes (amount per batch and frying time may change depending on your deep fryer. You also have the option to fry them manually in a frying pan.

 YOU’LL NEED

•  1 large mixing bowl

•  A deep fryer (I love my Cuisinart compact 1.1 L deep fryer)

•  A neutral high temperature cooking oil, preferably safflower or grape seed oil (canola oil works as well, and is probably most commonly used)

• ·OPTIONAL: baking sheet around 10” x 15” dimensions, with about a ¾” depth

INGREDIENTS (mixture makes approximately 48 small sized egg rolls)

•  1 package of Spring Home brand spring roll pastry sheets, 125 mm (approx. 6” square), 50 qty (NOTE: If you want extra layers of crunch, you can use the full sized pastry sheets)

•  1 pound of organic ground pork (you can also use ground chicken as a substitute) 

• ¼ pound of fresh peeled & deveined shrimp, tails removed, minced or finely chopped in a food processor

• 3 green scallions stalks, finely chopped

• 1 small onion, finely chopped (makes about 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions)

  NOTE: After chopping your onion, placed in a strainer over a bowl so that the excess moisture is removed. This helps with reducing moisture to the overall egg roll, for a better crunch.

•  1 small carrot, peeled to remove outer skin, then julienned with a julienne peeler

• 1/3 cup of dried Earwood mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water for 15 minutes, drained, dried, then finely chopped

• 1/3 cup of clear glass noodles, also known as bean threads (cooked per packaged instructions), and roughly chopped or cut with scissors

•  1.5 TBS fish sauce (I prefer Three Crabs brand)

• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder

• 1 teaspoon of sugar

• 1 teaspoon of ground pepper

• 1 egg yolk (whites removed) placed in a small dipping bowl

DIRECTIONS

• Defrost the package of frozen spring roll pastry sheets by leaving them out while you are preparing all of your ingredients. Then pre-peel the sheets apart and set aside. Meanwhile, gather your ingredients to make the egg roll mix

1. Using your hands, mix all of the prepared ingredients very well in a bowl (I like using vinyl gloves while doing this). Take a lot of time to make sure everything is fully blended.

2a.  OPTIONAL STEP FOR PERFECTIONISTS : Take your baking sheet and spread the entire mix onto the sheet as evenly as possible. Using either a butter knife or a spatula, divide the mix into thirds vertically, and then create rows of lines to create an even measurement so that each egg roll size will be consistent (see photo above for reference).

 2b. If you choose not to use a baking sheet for size precision, no problem, You can absolutely just use a spoon to scoop out the amount necessary per egg roll, just try to stay as consistent as possible (it doesn’t have to be perfect).

3. Scoop the desired amount onto the egg roll sheet (see above photo for reference). The sheet should be rotated so that it looks like a diamond with the bottom corner pointing towards you. Begin rolling the bottom corner of the sheet up, and then fold the sides in like an envelope. Continue rolling until you’re ready to seal. Using a clean applicator (I used a clean cotton swab, using my finger gets too messy), and dab a little bit of the egg yolk so that the top corner will seal the egg roll together. Gently press and then set on a platter. Continue this process until the whole mix is rolled.

4.  Now you are ready to fry. Pour the oil into the deep fryer and turn the temperature to 375 degrees. The oil will take about 10 minutes to pre-heat. 

 NOTE: I prefer to set the deep fryer over the stove for easy clean up, and use of the stovetop fan.

5.  Place 6-7 small egg rolls into the frying basket. Lower the basket, close the lid, and set your timer to 7 minutes. Please note that depending on how large your fryer is, how much oil you use, and how many egg rolls are placed in the basket, the timing may change. This timing and amount is specifically for a compact 1.1L deep fryer. You will have to experiment and adjust accordingly.

Note: You can also fry them in a frying pan over the stove, that way you will have more control over seeing when the egg rolls are done. Just make sure your’e turning the egg rolls, so that all sides are fried evenly.

6.  The egg rolls are complete once they are a light-medium golden color. Place on a bed of napkins, and repeat until all of the desired egg rolls are fried. They are best eaten warm.

7.   Vietnamese home cooked egg rolls can be eaten on a bed of vermicelli with all the fixings, or you can eat them as a snack, rolling them inside a layer of lettuce, some sliced cucumber, mint leaves, and dipped in Vietnamese dipping sauce (see previous post for dipping sauce recipe). I love the latter because of the crunchy texture and the combination of the warm and crispy egg rolls with the cool and crunchy lettuce and cucumber. 

I wrote a little bit about the history of pâté chaud and it’s French origins on my Instagram, and how the meaning of the French words, ‘pâté’ and ‘chaud’, have evolved over time. Unfortunately Instagram limits the amount of characters per caption/post, so on that platform, I am not able to go into full detail about anything really. Recipes have to be condensed. Directions are less detailed. One isn’t able to fully see how much goes into a dish. This is another reason why I chose to post my cooking adventures on my website. So here I am with my first recipe post—a simple and delicious recipe for pâté chaud that I put together myself. Not gonna lie, I think I shot a hole-in-one for this one. And on the very first try!

I wanted to talk a little bit about the effects of French colonialism on Vietnamese cooking (without going deep into the politics or ethics of colonialism in general). Ask any Vietnamese parent or grandparent about how they feel about the French or French colonialism, and one answer may vary from one person to the next. Some may think positively, some may think negatively, some may be personally traumatized, and some don’t think much about it at all. It’s really all about exposure and personal experience. But despite the political impact of imperialism on the country, I think we can all agree that the marriage of Vietnamese food with elements of French fare and influence, makes for the most beautiful blend of cuisine. It’s like seeing the silver lining in a negative situation. Some of the major ingredients that the French brought to Vietnam: onions, shallots, artichokes, potatoes, asparagus, coffee, baguettes. They also influenced the creation of phở, flan, and pâté chaud, among many other dishes. So although Vietnamese cuisine was influenced by many of its neighboring countries (mainly China), the incorporation of French influence makes it something truly special.

So, pâté chaud. They are essentially, meat pies. You can use your meat of choice, but I prefer ground pork as my base. Growing up, my mom would make pâté chaud for parties or snacking on the beach. I remember distinctly how they looked and tasted. She used Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry shells, which would come pre-made with a little ‘cap’ on top. They were tasty homemade versions that I’ll always look back on fondly as a part of my childhood. As I got older, we’d buy our pâté chaud pies from local Vietnamese bakeries, which were made a little bit differently. Honestly I’ve never had a pâté chaud I didn’t like. But some are definitely better than others. Lets talk ingredients. I’ve read that a butter based pastry sheet is better than a vegetable oil based one. And after making these, I will absolutely concur with that. With the butter based sheets, you’ll get a more delectably flavorful pie. Dufour Classic Puff Pastry. Oh-so-buttery, flakey, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness. For the meat mixture, I purchased an organic high quality package of ground pork (you can also ground your own pork using pork belly and pork shoulder). I also added in some creamy chicken liver mousse and classic pâté (which is thicker and chunkier), adding depth and texture to the mixture. I kept the recipe simple because I’m always trying to achieve the perfect balance without overwhelming the palate. If you have any questions regarding this recipe, feel free to fill out the contact form.

PÂTÉ CHAUD RECIPE

YOU’LL NEED

• 2 ¾” diameter cookie/pastry cutter (mini pies) OR 3 ¼” diameter cookie/pastry cutter (small pies); these measurements reflect the approximate quantity shown;

  feel free to use whatever you have in your kitchen, though keep in mind that quantities may change.

• Flour

• A baking sheet

• Parchment paper to line your baking sheet (if no parchment paper, grease your pan)

• A fork for sealing

INGREDIENTS (mixture makes roughly 24 mini pies or 12 small pies)

•  1 egg yolk mixed with 1 TBS water, whisked well 

•  Dufour Pastry Kitchens: Classic puff pastry (1 box=8 mini pies or 4 small pies, buy number of boxes according to how many you want to make)

•  1 pound of ground pork (alternatively, you can use ground dark meat chicken as sub)

•  1 small onion, finely chopped

•  3 stalks of green onion (light green to white part of stalks), finely chopped

•  ¼ cup of classic chicken paté

•  ¼ cup of high quality creamy chicken liver mousse

•  ¼ cup of rehydrated dried wood ear mushroom, chopped

•  1 TSP freshly ground pepper

•  1 TBS fish sauce

•  ½ TSP salt

•  1 TSP sugar

•  2 TSP chicken stock powder

DIRECTIONS

• Defrost the dough package for 3 hours, and use immediately after

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the above ingredients very thoroughly with your hands. Set aside.

2. Gently unfold the pastry and place on a floured work surface (per box instructions). Remove parchment papers and 

    dust both sides lightly with flour.

3. Using your desired size cookie/pastry cutter, cut your rounds and set to the side.

4. Once you’ve completed cutting out all your pastry rounds, begin with one layer.

5. Roll a single meatball with your hands, and place in the center of the round. Pat the meatball down a little bit to slightly flatten it. Make sure to leave about ½”

space around your meatball for sealing.

6. Dip your finger in the egg wash mix and paint some of the egg wash on the ½” pastry border.

7. Take another single piece of pastry round and place directly on top to assemble your meat pie. Use a fork to press down around the entire edge of the pastry

rounds, sealing the both layers into a single pie. Place on your prepared baking sheet and repeat until all your pastry rounds are used.

8. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the pie has risen and is light golden brown on top.

9. Remove from the oven and allow the pies to cool.

10. Once cooled, you can paint a light layer of melted butter wash over the top of the pies for an extra buttery result.

NOTE: You can freeze any remaining meat mixture for future use.

When I started building this website, I wasn’t intending on including anything relating to my cooking ventures at home. I wanted to focus on my art and creative projects. But the more I thought about it (and the more I received requests from friends on Instagram), the more I realized that cooking truly is a kind of art form, and should be treated, shared, and presented as such. There is something beautifully ritualistic in the art of cooking—especially so if you’re doing the majority of it from scratch (like me). **Side note: I use the term ‘from scratch’ loosely; sometimes a shortcut is a huge lifesaver. So in this section of my website, I will be sharing my favorite (mostly) Vietnamese recipes. Some will be wonderfully complex, and others will be some of the easiest (and tastiest) dishes that you can prepare in your weekly rotation. I’ll be sharing my tips, shortcuts, favorite brands and ingredients, and will be explaining (in careful and thoughtful detail) my process from start to finish. There may even be a video or two in the near future.

So before I post my first recipe, I wanted to dedicate this cooking section to my mom (pictured in her childhood, on the right), who, like most other amazing Vietnamese mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, can whip up a delicious meal or snack without a recipe or measurements. Just memory and instinct. I fondly remember growing up and helping my mom in the kitchen (along with my two sisters), rolling egg rolls, washing the herbs, peeling the vegetables, mixing with my hands, and being there to taste the results as soon as something was done being cooked/baked/grilled/fried. Not all of it was voluntary (sometimes I would’ve rather played video games or watched tv), but let me tell you something: it was the best thing my mom ever asked us to do. As a result I love, love, love cooking Vietnamese food. I love the process of preparation, I love the exotic scent of the herbs and spices, I love tending to the dish, watching it slowly (or quickly, in some cases) cook to perfection. Vietnamese cooking, to me, is nostalgic. It is ritualistic. It makes me feel deeply connected to my roots. My goal in sharing my recipes, tips, and my processes, is to maintain the culture, strengthen the community, and ultimately (over and over) make edible art. Bon appétit!