Go Pho Yourself Thanksgiving
November 19, 2016 9:02 AM   Subscribe

Our Thanksgiving feast this year is Vietnamese cuisine. We're going to bring spring rolls and...something else. What should our something else be? Links to recipes much appreciated. The group is a mix of pescatarians and ominivores. Spicy food is just fine. We have access to a good asian grocery.

We've been shunning traditional Thanksgiving since 2010, when AskMeFi helped me with our Mexican feast. Since then we've done Moroccan, Italian, Caribbean, and Indian.
posted by mcstayinskool to Food & Drink (20 answers total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
My mom makes this for us (we refer to it as just goi, you can google goi viet salad for recipes) and even my American diet preference sibilings love it. If your group doesn't mind fish sauce I would consider this.

I think you mean you'll have those shrimp rolls, yes? There's another variation with pork or beef and you season/dust the meat with ground browned rice powder. I have no idea what it's called but it's also wrapped up in the clear rice paper sheets... Aha, found it. It's Bi Cuon. I'd provide a variety of rolls by doing this one, the shrimp one and a completely vegetarian one with really good quality fried tofu strips.
posted by driedmango at 9:16 AM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'd go with some banh mi if you can get the right baguettes. Here's a site with recipes for the sandwich itself and all the related ingredients (including the baguette) if you're feeling ambitious.
posted by Huck500 at 9:30 AM on November 19, 2016 [6 favorites]


Thit kho! It's an everyday sort of dish and doesn't look terribly fancy, but it's traditional during Tet, dead simple to make, isn't usually found in restaurants, and tastes unbelievably indulgent and delicious! The Costco near me sells sliced pork belly that is just about perfect for this, but you could sub in some other pork cut for something less fatty. You could probably gussy up the final presentation with a scattering of fresh herbs or something, but it absolutely needs to be served alongside rice.
posted by Diagonalize at 10:03 AM on November 19, 2016 [3 favorites]


Forgot to add, you could sub in shrimp (or really any protein) for the pork to make tom rim and end up with something equally delicious.
posted by Diagonalize at 10:22 AM on November 19, 2016


I love this Madhur Jaffrey recipe: Nom Su Hao - Vietnamese Kohlrabi Salad.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:44 AM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


If you're up for deep frying, I love Salt & Pepper Shrimp. And linked from that recipe is this one for Eggplant with Shrimp and Garlic Sauce, which looks delicious.
posted by Room 641-A at 11:38 AM on November 19, 2016


Ike's Vietnamese chicken wings!
posted by vespabelle at 11:46 AM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Wasabi coleslaw is a fun side, especially if you're also doing barbecued meat.

Shred a head of green cabbage, pour over wasabi dressing (or a combo of Kewpie mayo and prepared wasabi to taste) until fully moistened. Add a handful of black sesame seeds, a sprinkle of sesame oil, and salt to taste. Let it sit overnight to let the flavors meld.
posted by ananci at 12:36 PM on November 19, 2016


We often make gỏi cuốn for guests, usually with vermicelli, shrimps, omelette (shredded), pork (shredded), cucumber and salad. The fun thing is that the guests make the rolls themselves, by dipping the rice paper in water for a few seconds, and filling it with their preferred ingredients. The rolls tend to be a little bit... unorthodox but it's fun.
posted by elgilito at 12:49 PM on November 19, 2016 [4 favorites]


Bahn Xeo, Yum!
posted by Duffington at 1:13 PM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


This recipe just came up on chefsteps the other day: Andrea Nguyen's turkey pho
posted by rossination at 3:16 PM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yeah I was going to say banh xeo too, maybe make them at the table together if you have a little induction cooktop or similar you can plug in. I like this recipe which has the traditional pork & prawn filling.

What a great idea for thanksgiving. If you Instagram this let me know.
posted by stellathon at 3:20 PM on November 19, 2016


Also, if you have a Vietnamese butcher, you might have access to all sorts of delicious marinated meats, meatballs and spring roll filling mixes already made up fresh each day. Might make serving a big group easier? I love the thin cut pork chops marinated in some excruciatingly good lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce combo that grill up quickly and there's sugar in the marinade that caramelises to extreme yumness. Serve with lettuce and Vietnamese pickles to make your own wraps. So good.
posted by stellathon at 3:25 PM on November 19, 2016 [2 favorites]


Are these fried spring rolls or baked spring rolls or salad rolls?

I've had a lot of good feedback from 'mini spring rolls' - cut down spring roll wrap to wonton wrap sized squares (approx 4-5"x4-5"). They deep fat fry really fast - once they're done, place on rack/paper-towel, then using scissors, cut halfway through the middle of each one.

Take a martini glass. Chug in some 'Thai Spring Roll Sauce." Stick the mini spring rolls along the rim through the cut.

One for each guest works really well; the first time around, people were knocking martini glasses over and otherwise being wolfish with one another. But there was a lot of pre-drinking involved there.

Vietnamese food is rather influenced with French, so anything French that you're competent in might fly.

Cold Salad Rolls are popular - instead of shrimp, use turkey or duck (or even pan seared confit duck!) and serve with hoisin/plum sauce on the side.
posted by porpoise at 5:10 PM on November 19, 2016


I love Cha Ca: fish with dill and turmeric. I make it with monkfish.
posted by Jode at 5:51 PM on November 19, 2016


How weird, this month's issue of Bon Appetit has a bunch of recipes dedicated to Asian inspired Txgiving recipes. My family is insistent on traditional recipes, but I want to try them so bad. Examples: Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Okonomayaki, Green Beans and XO sauce, Roasted Carrots with Nuoc Cham Dressing, Stuffing Fried Rice, Cornmeal Bao with Turkey Pastrami. The nuoc cham is the only Viet specific recipe (I think), but they all sound great and may provide inspiration for your feast.
posted by karlos at 9:18 PM on November 19, 2016


Vietnamese Chicken Curry Recipe (Cà Ri Gà)

This is served with the Vietnamese baguettes, crazy good and easily made to serve a huge crowd.

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad with Shrimp (Gỏi Xoài)
posted by yueliang at 12:09 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Great idea!

Agree with previous comments recommending thit kho (whole eggs and pork belly pieces slowly braised in soy, garlic and coconut water), green mango salad with shrimp (you can also make it with green papaya), and DIY cold roll station. Banh xeo (stuffed turmeric rice crepes) are delicious but can be fiddly, and best eaten straight off the pan so you can enjoy the lovely contrasting textures in the dish: if you're catering for a large crowd, you'll be at the stove all day.
Ananci: Wasabi coleslaw is not a Vietnamese dish.

Vietnamese dishes that are typically eaten during celebrations:


Crispy fried egg noodles with seafood
(also known as "Seafood Bird Nest" - this recipe uses chicken; just sub with seafood mix of your choice)

Whole steamed fish with ginger and shallot sauce


Crispy-skinned quail

Pippies wok-tossed with chili and holy basil

This would be a great way to end the meal:

Glutinous rice pudding studded with black-eyed beans with coconut milk
I have no idea why the author of the recipe used white beans; go with the black-eyed variety!

Accompany your meal with beer (typically lager, served with ice cubes); Coca Cola; young coconut juice; and shots of cognac! Finish your meal with a Vietnamese filtered iced coffee laced with condensed milk.

Happy Thanksgiving!
posted by travellingincognito at 6:05 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Oh gosh, I almost forgot about soda chanh! It's the most delicious fresh lime soda. My favorite version is with club soda and a pinch of sea salt for a mineral-y bite.

Also available in a can.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:28 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


FYI, if you do make the banh xeo, what my friend does is wrap the banh xeo in Vietnamese herbs and lettuce, then wrap that in a spring roll wrapper to basically make a spring roll, and then dip that in nuoc cham. It's an epiphany of textures and flavors, so good.
posted by yueliang at 11:44 AM on November 20, 2016


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