In an effort to both take in the local culture as well as learn how to replicate some of the phenomenal cuisine that we’ve been eating since arriving in Vietnam, Ben and I took a cooking class at our favorite Hoi An eatery, Cafe 43.

We were taught by the lovely Hien, who was as patient a teacher as we could as for. After 3 hours, (and some very stained hands from dicing Indian saffron) we produced 4 dishes with a pretty high level of success.

The cost for this gourmet lesson. $5.

It is good to be in Vietnam.

Below are the recipes for the things we made.

Grilled Seafish in Banana Leaf



Ingredients:

6 Banana Leaves

Whole Seafish- preboiled for 5 minutes

20 Grams Fresh Ginger

50 Grams Indian Saffron

4 Lemon Leaves

5 Stalks Lemongrass

8 Shallots

2 tsp smashed garlic

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Finely chop lemongrass

Dice ginger

Dice saffron

Thinly slice shallots

Roll lemon leaves and slice

-Mash above ingredients in mortar until paste

Add garlic, pepper, salt and vegetable oil. Mix with paste

Place 3 banana leaves on each side of aluminum foil for a pouch

Place ⅓ of paste as a base on banana leaves

Place ⅓ of paste inside fish

Place remaining paste over top of fish

Fold uptight and clamp aluminum foil pouch over low heat for 30 minutes, turning once

Dipping Sauce for Seafish

½ tsp peper

1 tsp salt

4 tsp lime juice with seeds

Chicken Spring Rolls

100 grams minced chicken

Soft rice paper

200 grams of boiled chickpeas diced

½ tsp 5 Spice

30 grams carrot

30 gram sweet potato (boiled until soft)

1 taro (50 Grams) (boiled until soft)

Bunch of spring onions

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp 5 spice

Grate carrot

Mash chickpeas, carrot, sweet potato, and taro

Heat 10 inch skillet over low heat with 1.5 Tbsp of vegetable oil

Add 1 tsp garlic wait 1 minute and add spring onion, cook one more minute

Add skillet contents to mash

Add salt, pepper, sugar and 5 spice

Hand mix throroughly with paste

Spoon about a tbsp onto rice paper

Roll tightly, folding in ends once wrapped around once

Cook in ½ pan of vegetable oil to deep fry over low heat

5-7 minutes until golden brown

Roll spring rolls 1x to get both sides

Do not overcook

Sauteed Spinach and Garlic

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp vegetarian seasoning

1 tbsp dried garlic

Cooking:

Saute all ingredients covered over low heat for 5 minutes

Squid and Sour Fish Sauce

1 small red chile chopped diagonally with scissors

½ tsp garlic

½ tsp sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp fish sauce

Mix together until sugar dissolves

Stuffed Squid

1 8 inch squid tube of medium diameter

100 grams minced pork

1 tsp mashed garlic

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ white onion

25 grams carrot

Bunch of spring onion

Mix all ingredients besides squid, and leave for 3 minutes.

Dice onion, carrot.

Chop spring onion and leave separate

Place 2 tbsp vegetable oil in 10 in skilled, throw in pork mix.

After 1 minute add carrot

After 1 minute add onion

Saute until carrot is soft

Remove mix from heat, stuff inside squid tube, packing hard.

Affix toothpick across top of squid

Place 2 more tbsp vegetable oil into pan over low heat

turn squid on all 4 sides until golden brown

Use scissors to cut ⅔ down the squid tube after removing from heat

Remove toothpick

Eat with tomato and pepper sauce

Dipping Sauce for Seafish

½ tsp peper

1 tsp salt

4 tsp lime juice with seeds