Cookbook tested: Miljuschka’s street food Vietnam

We could already enjoy Miljuschka’s Vietnamese adventures on 24Kitchen, and it gets even better. We can now recreate all the recipes from her trip to Vietnam at home, as they are all bundled in her new book: Miljuschka’s Street Food Vietnam. Prepare yourself for lots of mouthwatering moments.

The book is packed with beautiful photos that perfectly capture Vietnam and its food. Vietnam is shaped like a long strip, and because of the long distances, the regional cuisines differ enormously. Miljuschka takes you from the south (Ho Chi Minh) to the north (Hanoi and Ha Long Bay), dish by regional dish.

Back in Vietnam for a moment

Each city or region gets an extensive introduction, in which you learn everything about the local street food, the use of fish sauce and weasel coffee (yes, those coffee beans that have been excreted by rodents). The stories and the very, very many atmospheric photos make me feel as though I’m completely back in Vietnam. I can taste the bun cha and egg coffee from Hanoi again, as well as the white rose dumplings in Hoi An. The coffee and dumplings don’t include instructions on exactly how to make them yourself, though—something I would really like to know.

Recipes

What do you get recipes for? Classics such as bánh mi, pho, ban bánh xèo (crispy rice flour pancake) and goi cuon (the oh-so-hip and delicious summer roll). I’m also instantly obsessed with the roast duck with pho spices, rice crêpes with confit duck leg (yes, I love duck), barbecue oysters with Vietnamese vinaigrette and this fried chicken with caramel fish sauce.

Caramelized pork belly

Caramel and fish sauce are inextricably linked to Vietnamese cuisine and also feature in the caramelized pork belly in coconut water that I make from the book. First, you make a thin layer of caramel in the pan, in which you then sear the meat. I was a little afraid that the caramel would become too dark and bitter, so I didn’t sear the meat for as long as I normally would.

But that didn’t matter much, as the meat is then slowly braised until tender in coconut water and other Vietnamese flavorings, and it was ridiculously delicious. The meat falls apart and is wonderfully fatty, sweet and salty all at once. The egg that you cook with the pork for the final five minutes is a perfect addition. Add a little of the cooking liquid to the rice and you have a delicious bowl of comfort food.

Vietnamese cooking

The recipe uses kaisoi (mustard greens), which not every Asian supermarket happens to stock, but in principle you could also use bok choy. I opted for water spinach. The book doesn’t use many unusual ingredients, and things like lemongrass, fish sauce and rice vinegar are nowadays readily available at the supermarket. For a few dishes, you’ll have to make a quick trip to the Asian supermarket, but isn’t that part of the fun?

For anyone who wants to cook Vietnamese food at home, find inspiration or simply browse beautiful food stories and photos of Vietnam. Buy this book and you won’t regret it.

Miljuschka’s Street Food Vietnam
Miljuschka Witzenhausen
€ 20,-
24Kitchen