Scent of Green Papaya Dinner & a Movie Recipes & Photos

Appetizer

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup nuoc mam (nam pla) Asian fish sauce
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 small fresh chili pepper, finely diced, seeds and membranes removed

Mix all ingredients together and allow to stand for 1 hour (or overnight in the refrigerator) to marry flavors.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Summer Rolls with Shrimp

½ cup tiny bay shrimp
1 carrot, julienne
½ cucumber, peel & julienne
16 mint leaves
4 small lettuce leaves
4 large rice paper wrappers

Divide the shrimp, and the julienne carrots and cucumbers into four equal portions.

Fill a large shallow dish with about ½ inch of lukewarm water and soak the rice paper wrappers one at a time until they are soft and flexible. Gently lift the wrapper out of the water, and hold it over the dish to drain off excess water.

Lay the wrapper on a clean plate. Trim a lettuce leaf into a semicircle to fit the lower half of the wrapper. Distribute and arrange one portion of the shrimp, carrots and cucumbers horizontally across the upper 1/3 of the lettuce leaf. Add four mint leaves across the filling. Fold the wrapper and the lettuce leaf upwards to cover the filling. Fold the left and right sides inward toward the center, and snugly roll the wrapper and filling toward the upper edge. The rice paper wrapper will stick to itself to form a sealed roll. Try to roll as tightly as possible, taking care not to tear the wrapper.

Repeat the process for the other three wrappers. With a sharp knife, cut each roll in half at a diagonal angle. Arrange on an attractive serving dish, garnish with mint leaves and serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce.

Soup

Lemongrass Consommé with Seafood Dumplings

4 cups fish stock
2 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed and cut into 1? pieces
2 scallions finely chopped (save the green stalks for tying the dumplings)
1/3 cup tiny bay shrimp
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 tbsp minced cilantro
6 large rice paper wrappers

Prepare a fish stock by boiling the trimmings of any mildly flavored fish, with vegetable trimmings such as carrots, onions, green pepper, celery, etc. Strain through a fine sieve into a large saucepan. (Or you may use a commercially prepared stock). Add the lemongrass, simmer for ½ hour and strain again.

Trim several of the green tops from the scallions and cut them vertically into long, fine ribbons. These will be used to tie the tops of the dumplings. In a small pan, lightly sauté the garlic, chopped scallions, shallot, and cilantro, being careful not to overcook. Add the shrimp to the mixture and stir.

Fill a large shallow dish with ½ inch of lukewarm water and soak the rice paper wrappers one at a time until they are soft and flexible. Gently lift each wrapper out of the water, and hold it over the dish to drain off excess water. Place the wrapper on a clean plate and place about 1 tablespoon of the shrimp filling in the center. Gather up the edges of the rice paper wrapper to form a small sachet and tie with a scallion ribbon. Trim the excess wrapper about 1? above the tie and set aside. Repeat to form the remaining 5 dumplings.

Pour the fish stock into the bottom of a steam kettle and place the dumplings in the steamer basket above it. Bring to a boil and steam the dumplings for 2 minutes. To serve, carefully arrange three dumplings in the center of a shallow soup bowl and fill with fish broth.

Salad

Green Papaya Salad with Baby Greens, Cellophane Noodles and Hanoi Fried Yellow Fish Nuggets

1 green papaya
1 small cucumber
1 package of mixed baby greens
1 small package of cellophane noodles
8 ounces firm white fish filet, cut into 1? cubes
1 tsp turmeric
½ cup flour
Cooking oil
2 tbsp nuoc mam (nam pla) Asian fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp finely diced mint leaves

Soak the cellophane noodles in a bowl of lukewarm water for 30 minutes to soften. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Drop two servings of the softened cellophane noodles into the boiling water for about 5 seconds, until just tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain the noodles in a colander, toss in a bowl with a dash of nuoc mam and sesame oil and set aside to cool.

Thoroughly mix the flour and turmeric and place in a plastic bag or small lidded container. Add the cubes of fish and shake gently to coat. Fill the bottom of a small sauté pan with about ¼? of cooking oil. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the coated fish cubes until golden. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil and set aside to cool.

Cut the papaya in half, remove the seeds, peel and grate the fruit. Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber crosswise into thin slices.

To compose the salad, arrange the baby greens in a ring around the outer edge of a large dinner plate. Place a mound of cellophane noodles in the center. Arrange the grated papaya in a ring around the noodles. Place the fish nuggets on top of the noodles. Fan the cucumber slices around the edge of the plate.

For the dressing, combine lime juice, rice wine vinegar and diced mint in a small jar. Shake to mix and sprinkle over only the baby greens, cucumber, and grated papaya.

Main Course

Grilled Pork Loin with Papaya Relish, Stir-Fried Vegetables and Garlic-Ginger Rice

For the main course, it is important to complete all the steps in the proper order:

1. Prepare the Nuoc Cham 2 hours ahead, or the night before
2. Marinate the pork loin for 2 hours
3. Make the papaya salsa & marinate for 1 hour
4. Cook the rice
5. Par-steam the vegetables
6. Grill the pork loin
7. Finish the vegetables in the wok
8. Arrange on serving dishes

Main Course Recipes:

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup nuoc mam (nam pla) Asian fish sauce
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 small fresh chili pepper, finely diced, seeds and membranes removed

Mix all ingredients together and allow to stand for 1 hour (or overnight in the refrigerator) to marry flavors.

Grilled Pork Loin

½ pound pork loin
¼ cup nuoc cham
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

Place the pork loin on a sheet of aluminum foil with the edges curled up to form a reservoir. Pour the nuoc cham over the pork loin and dust with Chinese 5-spice powder. Seal the edges of the aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours. To prepare, grill for 3-5 minutes minutes on each side, until the outside turns a rich caramelized brown and the inside is still ever so slightly pink. Slice into thin rounds and place across the center of a dinner plate. Serve with jasmine rice, sautéed vegetables and papaya relish.

Papaya Relish

1 ripe papaya
1 red bell pepper, seeds & membrane removed
2 scallions
1 chili pepper, finely diced, seeds and membranes removed
1 tbsp ginger root, finely diced
¼ cup lime juice

Cut the papaya in half and remove the seeds. Peel and dice into ½? cubes. Finely dice the ginger root, red bell pepper, scallions and chili pepper. Combine all ingredients and dress with lime juice. Marinate for 1 hours before serving.

Garlic Ginger Jasmine Rice

2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp ginger root, finely minced
2 cups jasmine rice
3 cups chicken stock

In a wok, saute the garlic and ginger in oil, stirring constantly until golden brown. Add the rice and continue to sauté until lightly browned. Add the stock and then transfer the mixture to an electric rice cooker, or to a large covered saucepan and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until tender.

Steamed & Sauteed Spring Vegetables

3 baby bok choy, root end removed and separated into individual leaves
1 carrot, julienne
½ cup snow peas, veins removed
½ cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp nuoc mam
1 tsp sesame oil

Place the prepared vegetables in a steamer kettle and steam for 3-5 minutes until almost done, but still slightly crisp. Uncover and transfer to a cool wok and toss with nuoc mam and sesame oil. Just before serving, finish cooking the vegetables over high heat until just tender.

Dessert

Papaya-Ginger Sorbet with Ripe Papaya Slices and Fresh Mint

1 12 oz. can papaya nectar
4 oz. water
2 oz. fresh lime juice
¼ cup sugar
12 mint leaves
1 tsp ginger root, finely minced
4 oz. coconut milk
1 fresh ripe papaya
2 Mint sprigs

Combine papaya nectar, water, sugar, mint leaves and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Several hours before serving, empty the papaya nectar cubes into a blender or food processor and puree into a fine, icy slush. Add coconut milk gradually, until the mixture reaches a soft sorbet consistency. Transfer to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

To serve, scoop the sorbet into parfait glasses. Garnish with a spoonful of diced fresh papaya and a sprig of mint. Serve on a plate with wedges of fresh ripe papaya.