Chef Thuy Diem Pham. Photo: Laura Edwards
“My journey with food began in Câu Ngang, a small village in southern Vietnam where many of my fondest memories revolve around roaming freely on my grandparents’ rice farm, chasing ducks and picking low-hanging fruit from the trees along the way,” writes the chef Thuy Diem Pham in her new cookbook, One Pan Vietnam, of her early childhood.
But after the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war, Thuy’s father, a naval commander, was one of the “boat people” who left their country in search of a better life for his children. He was rescued by a British ship, gained asylum in the UK and was later joined by his family.
Growing up, she says: “I watched my mum and her friends turn food prep into a lively affair. Every corner of the kitchen would be occupied, every inch of counter space covered with ingredients, and every pot and pan brought into action along with laughter, gossip and even the occasional song! The bigger the mess, the better the dish, or so it seemed.”
With One Pan Vietnam, Thuy – who after a decade spent in the advertising industry opened the award-winning restaurant The Little Viet Kitchen in north London – wants to ditch the idea that Vietnamese cooking means dirtying all the pots in the house. “Too optimistic? If you’d asked me during my restaurant days, I’d have chuckled and given you a look that said ‘Good luck with that!’ My grandmother, with her years of wisdom, would have rolled her eyes at the very thought.”
But with a few tweaks and shortcuts, she promises that a cuisine known for its mix of sweet, sour and spicy can be simplified without losing its complexity: “You can achieve the same depth of flavour with just one pot.”
Here she shares a recipe for cà ri gà, or lemongrass and coconut chicken curry, which blends French colonial influence with traditional Vietnamese flavours and is, she promises, “utterly addictive”.
Words by Jane Ferguson
Photographs by Laura Edwards
Cà ri gà or lemongrass and coconut chicken curry
This is best enjoyed with a portion of fluffy jasmine rice or a crusty French baguette, both of which are perfect for soaking up the delicious curry sauce. The recipe takes about 45 minutes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
½ tbsp salt
3 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable oil
250g baby potatoes, halved
For the curry sauce
800ml coconut cream (at least 70% coconut)
3 echalion shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
80g ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp chilli powder
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled
8-10 fresh lime leaves
4 lemongrass stalks, halved and crushed
To garnish
4 tsp crispy fried shallots (see below if you want to make these at home)
4 pinches of coarsely ground black pepper
Thai basil and coriander
Method
Rub the chicken thighs with the salt and turmeric, making sure the skin is well coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the potatoes and the chicken, skin-side down.
Sear for 7-8 mins until the chicken skin is crisp and the potatoes are slightly browned. Flip the chicken skin-side up. Pour in the coconut cream, avoiding the chicken skin to keep it crispy. Add the remaining curry sauce ingredients.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 mins, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Taste and adjust the balance of flavours if needed, adding more fish sauce or sugar if you like.
Garnish with the crispy fried shallots, black pepper and some Thai basil and coriander.
Crispy fried shallots (optional)
Golden, fragrant and irresistibly crunchy, crispy fried shallots add the perfect finishing touch to soups, noodles, rice dishes and salads. This recipe takes about 45 minutes and makes 500g.
Ingredients
1 litre vegetable oil
1kg shallots, very finely chopped
Method
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, until it reaches 150-160C (302-320F). To check if it's ready, place a wooden chopstick into the oil: if bubbles form around it, the oil is at the right temperature.
Fry the shallots in batches of around 100g, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels, repeating the process until all the shallots have been cooked.
Leave them on the towels overnight to air-dry, helping to preserve their crispness.
Once completely dry, transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to a month.
One Pan Vietnam by Thuy Diem Pham is published by Quadrille (£22)