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Vietnamese Fried Butter Quail
Fried Butter Quail
Fried quail are a very popular Vietnamese street food. Here in the states, they are served in fancy restaurants. You can find quail at Asian markets in the rozen aisle in pack of 6. They usually cost about $10 a pack. This recipe is fairly simple. Cut the quails in half, marinate, and fry. Since they are small, the quail take less than 10 minutes in total to cook.After they are done frying, brush them with melted butter. The dipping sauce that goes with the quail is pretty much a lemon pepper sauce. The acidity of the dipping sauce helps cut through the richness of the quail.
Ingredients
- 6 whole quail cut in half
- oil for frying
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Quail Marinade
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
- 2 tsp cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlc cloves minced
- 1 shallot minced
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp corriander
Instructions
- Mix a of the marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
- Cut the quail in half like so.
- Marinate the quail for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat up a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the quail in batched to the pan, frying for 4-5 minutes skin side down.
- Flip the quail over and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Put on a plate. Brush each quail with melted butter.
- Mix all of the dipping sauce ingredients together and serve with the buttered quail.
Five Spice Pork Chops
5 Spice Pork Chops
5 Spice powder is used a lot in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. So what is 5 spice powder? It is a combination of cloves, fennel, cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns. I can’t think of anything better to put 5 spice on than pork! When choosing pork chops, I like to use 1″ thick bone in chops. They tend to dry out easier if they are thinner. It is really up to your personal preference though. I will also recommend to not use boneless pork chops. You are doing a disservice to the pig that gave it’s life for you to eat and to yourself. Bone in cuts are more flavorful and are more moist than boneless. So gnaw on that bone. Do it.
Ingredients
- 2-3 1″ thick bone in pork chops
5 Spice Marinade
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp pork boullion
- 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 stalk lemongrass finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot minced
Instructions
- Mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pork bouillon, 5 spice powder, sesame oil, and black pepper is a bowl.
- In a mortal and pestle or food processor, pound the garlic, lemongrass, and shallots into a paste.
- Add the paste to the rest of the marinade.
- Pour the marinade over the pork chops. Add the star anise. Marinate for 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your pork chops on a rack on a baking sheet covered in foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Get in my belly!
Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
When Americans think of fried rice, they think of the Chinese take out fried rice that is dark brown from soy sauce. This Vietnamese style fried rice is not that. No soy sauce whatsoever. What this rice does have is sweet and salty Chinese sausage. This is really an easy recipe to make, especially when there is leftover white rice. .
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 medium onion diced
- 4 Chinese sausages sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tbsp pork bouillon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 3 cups day old cooked rice
Instructions
- Heat up the cooking oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan or wok. add in the onions and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the Chinese sausage. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the peas and carrots and green onion. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Move everything in the pan to one side. Cook the beaten eggs on the other side for 1 minute.
- Mix the eggs in the pan together with the other ingredients.
- Stir in the white rice, making sure that all of the clumps are broken up. Season with the pork bouillon, salt, and white pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve as a side with just about anything.
