Vietnam: Morning to Midnight, written by Jerry Mai, features an incredible collection of Vietnamese homestyle dishes and street food for every time of day. A few highlights include Cháo Gà (Chicken Congee), Bắp Nướng Phô Mai (Grilled Sweetcorn with Laughing Cow Cheese), Bún Riêu Cua (Crab Noodle Soup), Bò Nướng Vĩ (Beef Cooked on a Hotplate), and Chuối Chiên Dừa (Coconut Fried Banana). I will also be sharing her recipe for Gà Xào Gừng (Braised Chicken in Ginger) following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Jerry Mai
Jerry Mai is a Vietnamese-Australian chef and restaurateur. She was born in Vietnam and is currently based in Melbourne, Australia.
She owns and runs Phở Nom, a quick service restaurant with casual street food. Jerry is also the author of Street Food Vietnam.
Vietnam: Morning to Midnight
Jerry begins Vietnam with a short introduction and memories behind her lifelong love of Vietnamese cuisine.
Before getting to the recipes, she explains the basic Vietnamese pantry with names (in Vietnamese and English), descriptions, and uses of notable seasonings, herbs, and kitchen equipment.
Chapters are divided according to time of day: Breakfast, On the Streets, Lunch, Bia Hoi, and Dinner.
The photography is provided by Chris Middleton with styling by Deb Kaloper. Every recipe is paired with a full-page photo of the finished dish. There are also a few shots of produce, markets, and people among the pages.
Measurements are listed in Metric and US Customary. Titles are written in Vietnamese and English. Each recipe includes a headnote with background information, personal notes, yield, tips, and serving ideas.
Gà Xào Gừng (Braised Chicken in Ginger)
This was my first time making Gà Xào Gừng (Braised Chicken in Ginger) and I absolutely loved the comforting flavors.
Piece of bone-in chicken are simmered in a caramelized sauce infused with fresh ginger until cooked through and tender.
Serve immediately with ground white pepper, sliced red chillies, cilantro leaves, and steamed jasmine rice.
Adjust the fish sauce and sugar to taste.
After adding the sugar, stir continuously and cook just until golden brown. Take care not to burn.
Notable Ingredients
Fish sauce is a condiment created by slowly fermenting fish (generally anchovies) in a salt water mixture, then pressing to produce a thin liquid. It has quite the strong smell, but provides a savory umami flavor.
Brands from different countries will vary a bit in taste and quality. It can be found in some larger grocery stores and markets with Southeast Asian ingredients.
Other Dishes
I also made Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee), Sữa Chua (Vietnamese Yogurt), Thịt Kho (Caramelised Pork Belly), and Kem Chiên (Deep-Fried Ice Cream with Salted Caramel).
Jerry features a handful of delicious Vietnamese coffee variations in the breakfast section. I started with Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee). This refreshing drink pairs Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and ice.
This was my very first time making Sữa Chua (Vietnamese Yogurt) and it was fantastic! The condensed milk base is combined with water and yogurt, then strained and allowed to set in a warm water bath overnight. I also made it a second time using a yogurt maker and the results were perfect.
The Thịt Kho (Caramelised Pork Belly) was Chad’s favorite. This comforting meal takes a while to simmer, but only uses a handful of ingredients. Pieces of pork belly are coated in a caramelized sauce with fish sauce and coconut juice, then served with perfectly cooked deep-fried eggs (I was so excited about these!) and steamed jasmine rice.
Kem Chiên (Deep-Fried Ice Cream with Salted Caramel) was another fun one to make! Scoops of salted caramel ice cream are chilled overnight, then coated in crushed waffles before chilling again. The scoops are deep-fried briefly until golden and served with a homemade salted caramel sauce.
Vietnam: Morning to Midnight is a great pick for those interested in Vietnamese cuisine. There is quite the variety of drinks, breakfast items, meat, seafood, sides, and desserts. Some dishes come together in as little as 30 minutes while others require a bit more prep or simmering.
Having a market with Vietnamese ingredients nearby will be helpful in locating items such as fresh pho noodles, black cardamom pods, Thai basil, bird’s eye chillies, enoki mushrooms, glutinous rice flour, pork belly, dried shrimp, daikon, wood ear mushrooms, tapioca flour, and more.
Gà Xào Gừng (Braised Chicken in Ginger) Recipe
Excerpt from Vietnam: Morning to Midnight
Gà Xào Gừng (Braised Chicken in Ginger)
Ingredients
- 4 pound (1.8 kilogram) whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 5 1/2 ounces (150 grams) ginger peeled and julienned
- 1 3/4 ounces (50 grams) superfine sugar plus extra if needed
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) fish sauce plus extra if needed
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 long red chillies sliced
- Handful cilantro (coriander) leaves
- Steamed Jasmine rice to serve
Instructions
- First, prepare the chicken. Using a cleaver or large knife, chop the chicken in half through the breastbone. Cut off the thighs, then break them down into 3-4 smaller pieces. Remove the chicken wings from the breast and cut off the tips. Finally, cut the breast into 5-6 pieces.
- Place the oil and ginger in a large, deep frying pan with a lid and set over medium heat.
- Cook the ginger for 2-3 minutes until golden brown then, using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger from the oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
- Add the sugar to the ginger-infused oil over low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, for 7-10 minutes until the mixture turns a golden caramel. Take care not to burn the caramel, otherwise the dish will be bitter.
- Add the chicken to the pan and stir quickly and continuously to ensure the chicken and caramel don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the ginger and fish sauce.
- Keep stirring the chicken to coat with the caramel, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Check the seasoning and season with more sugar and fish sauce, if necessary.
- Divide the chicken among serving bowls, sprinkle with the pepper and scatter the chilli and coriander (cilantro) over the top.
- Serve immediately with bowls of steamed rice.
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