David Nguyen | @dvdnguyen

Quick tutorial on how to safely shuck oysters at home!

1. Place your oyster in a folded towel, flat side up, hinge facing out.

2. Insert the tip of your oyster knife into the hinge and wiggle it until it's secure. You'll know it's in place if you can lift the oyster without the knife slipping.

3. Twist the knife to detach the top shell. Once open, wipe off any grit from the knife.

4. Slide the knife along the top shell to separate the adductor muscle and detach the oyster. Remove any shell shards.

5. Carefully scrape along the bottom shell to detach the bottom muscle. Flip the oyster so the plump side faces up for a beautiful presentation.

Keep practicing and have fun with it! Before you know it, you'll be a pro at shucking oysters 👊🏼

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Vietnamese Style Grilled Seafood
Serves 2

Ingredients
5 large prawns
1-2 dozen oysters

Scallion Oil
3 bunches green onions, chopped
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Garlic Butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons butter

Salt Pepper Lime Sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 2 fresh limes, to taste
Fried shallots, for garnish

Instructions
1. Clean and prepare the prawns by butterflying them and removing the guts. Shuck the oysters and refrigerate until ready to grill.

2. Heat 1/2 cup of oil to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the chopped scallions with sugar and salt. Carefully pour the hot oil over the scallions, stirring until they wilt. Place the bowl over ice to cool and maintain the vibrant green color.

3. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and infused, about 5 minutes.

4. Place the butterflied prawns on the grill. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then brush with garlic butter. Cook until they reach your desired doneness.

5. Top each oyster with a dollop of scallion oil and garnish with fried shallots.

6. Serve immediately, pairing the seafood with the salt pepper lime dipping sauce.

#VietnameseStyle #GrilledSeafood

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Passion Fruit Habanero Oyster Agua Chile

Ingredients
1-2 dozen Kushi oysters

Pickled Onion
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Passion Fruit Habanero Sauce
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
2 tablespoons white soy sauce
2 habaneros (seeds removed)
1 serrano chile, sliced

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the champagne vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Add the finely diced red onion and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a blender, combine the passion fruit juice, habaneros, and white soy sauce. Blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a container and place in the fridge to chill.

3. Shuck the oysters and arrange them on a bed of crushed ice. Spoon the passion fruit habanero sauce over each oyster. Top with pickled onions and garnish with sliced serranos.

#oysters #seafood #aguachile

875 12

Mango Habanero Salmon Crudo
Serves 2

Ingredients

Salmon:
1 lb sushi-grade salmon
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange or tangerine

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons white soy sauce
1/4 cup mango, diced
1 habanero, seeded and chopped

Garnish:
Orange or tangerine supremes
Mango slices
Red onions, brunoise
Chives, chopped
Maldon sea salt
Olive oil

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, lime zest, lemon zest, and tangerine zest.

2. Coat the salmon with the citrus cure mixture. Place the salmon in the refrigerator and let it cure for 15 minutes. After curing, rinse the salmon with ice water and pat dry.

3. Blend together the lime juice, white soy sauce, diced mango, and habanero until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

4. Slice the salmon thinly, about 1/8 inch, and arrange on a plate. Spoon the mango habanero sauce over the salmon slices.
Garnish with orange or tangerine supremes, mango slices, thinly sliced red onions, chopped chives, Maldon sea salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

5. Serve immediately, as the acid from the sauce will alter the texture of the salmon the longer it sits.

#salmon #salmoncrudo #seafood #mango #habanero #crudo

832 18

House Fried Rice
Serves 6
Ingredients:

Rice:
2 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 tablespoons neutral oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Egg Mix:
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon annatto oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)

Additional Ingredients:
1 cup peas and carrots, thawed
3 Chinese-style sausages
1/2 lb shrimp (size 21-25)
Salt, to taste
Sugar, to taste
MSG (optional)
Additional oil, as needed


Instructions:
1. Wash and rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside for 10 minutes. In a small pot, combine the chicken stock, sugar, and kosher salt, and gently warm the mixture. In a pan, fry 3 cloves of the minced garlic with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil until it turns a light blonde color. Add the rice and toss to coat. Transfer the rice and seasoned chicken stock to a rice cooker and cook until done. Once cooked, fluff the rice with chopsticks, transfer to a bowl, and allow it to cool to room temperature.

2. Fill a pot with enough water to submerge the sausages and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add sausages, and poach for 5 minutes. Remove sausages, drain on paper towels. Once cooled, cut poached sausages into bite-sized pieces. Preheat a pan over medium-low heat. Add sausage pieces and fry slowly, turning occasionally, until they are crispy and more fat is rendered out, about 5 minutes. Remove sausages and drain on paper towels.

3. Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt, sugar, black pepper, and MSG (if using) and leave to marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Bring the same pot of water to a boil and par-cook the shrimp for 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove the shrimp and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

4. Whisk together the eggs with salt, granulated sugar, annatto oil, black pepper, and MSG. Pass the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer and reserve 1/2 a cup for the rice. Heat a small pan over medium heat and cook the eggs until they form small curds. Remove and reserve.

5. Heat a large wok over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and fry the rest of the minced garlic until it turns a light blonde color. Add the cooked rice and toss until it’s mixed with the fried garlic. Pour in the 1/2 cup of remaining egg mixture and continue to toss until every grain is coated in the egg mix. Combine the rest of the prepared ingredients along with the thawed peas and carrots. Continue to toss the rice until the moisture from the egg mix has been absorbed.

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Dried Scallop Egg White Fried Rice
Serves 6
Ingredients

For the Rice:
2 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 1/3 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar

For the Dried Scallops:
8 Japanese Hokkaido dried scallops
Boiling water as needed

Additional Ingredients:
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
Neutral oil for cooking

For Garnish:
Chives, finely chopped

Instructions:
1. Wash the jasmine rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Cook the rice with filtered water, kosher salt, and sugar. Once cooked, let it cool and fluff with a fork.

2. Soak the dried scallops in boiling water for about an hour or until fully hydrated. Once hydrated, strain and discard the soaking liquid. Remove the side muscles from the scallops and pat them dry with a paper towel.

3. Using the back of a knife, gently press and flatten the scallops until they separate into ribbons.

4. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add enough oil to fry. Once the oil reaches 350°F, fry the scallop ribbons until they turn a light golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

5. Using the same oil, fry the egg whites until they are fully cooked, being careful not to burn them. Remove from the wok and set aside.

6. Transfer the cooking oil from the wok to another container, leaving a small amount in the wok. Add the cooked rice to the wok and lightly fluff it, ensuring the grains are not sticking together. Add the finely chopped green onions, cooked egg white, 2/3 of the fried scallops, and the seasoning (sugar, salt, and MSG if using). Stir-fry until well combined.

7. Transfer the fried rice to a serving plate and garnish with the remaining fried scallops and chopped chives.

#driedscallop #eggwhite #friedrice

721 22

French Style Omelette w/ Fish Sauce
Makes 1 omelette

Ingredients:
5 whole eggs
2 teaspoons fish sauce (Mega Chef brand)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Black pepper, to taste
Chives, as desired

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together 5 whole eggs until fully combined. Pass the whisked eggs through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl to ensure a smooth consistency. Add the fish sauce and granulated sugar, then whisk again to mix thoroughly. Fish sauce is essential for that authentic Vietnamese flavor.

2. Melt a tablespoon of butter in an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Ensure the butter coats the entire pan evenly.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Use a spatula to gently stir the eggs while shaking the pan back and forth. This technique helps to create small curds and prevents the omelette from sticking.

4. When the omelette is semi-set but still slightly runny on top, season with black pepper and sprinkle with chives. Shape the omelette into a neat fold. Brush the surface with a little more butter for a glossy finish.

5. Transfer the omelette to a plate and garnish with additional chives. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious Vietnamese omelette!

#vietnamese #omelette

649 9

Lemon Basil Crab Fried Rice (Cơm Chiên Lá É)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

Rice:
2 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Lemon Basil Paste:
1 cup lemon basil or Italian basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste

Crab:
3 tablespoons butter
1 lb jumbo lump crab
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Additional:
Neutral oil as needed
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 green Thai chilies, minced (adjust to taste)
Chopped chives for garnish
Lemon basil for garnish

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Rice:
-Wash and rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside for 10 minutes.
-In a small pot, combine the chicken stock, sugar, and kosher salt, and gently warm the mixture.
- In a pan, fry 1/3 of the minced garlic with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil until it turns a light blonde color. Add the rice and toss to coat.
-Transfer the rice and seasoned chicken stock to a rice cooker and cook until done. Once cooked, fluff the rice with chopsticks, transfer to a bowl, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare the Crab:
-Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan and gently fry the other portion of the minced garlic until fragrant.
-Add the crab, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and cook until heated through.
3. Make the Lemon Basil Paste:
-Roughly chop the lemon basil and add it to a mortar with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and grind the leaves into a paste using a pestle.
4. Final Assembly:
-Add about 4 tablespoons of oil to a large pan or wok and fry the remaining minced garlic and green Thai chilies until fragrant.
-Add the cooled rice and lemon basil paste, tossing to combine.
-Add the crab meat and continue to toss, seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. garnish with chopped chives and additional lemon basil leaves.

#VietnameseFood #lemonbasil #comchien #friedrice

1.2K 18

Shrimp Agua Chile

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 lb live spot prawns
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons white soy sauce
1 habanero
2 serrano chiles
1 cup cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely chopped
Corn starch as needed
Neutral oil for frying
Kosher salt to taste
White pepper to taste

Optional:
Cilantro Oil
1 bunch cilantro5 tablespoons neutral oil

Instructions:
1. Peel and devein the spot prawns. Place the prawns in the fridge to chill. Reserve the prawn heads.

2. Blanch the cilantro in boiling water for 5 seconds, then quickly chill in ice water. Squeeze out all the water from the cilantro. Blend the blanched cilantro with 5 tablespoons of oil until smooth (about 2 minutes). Strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.

3. Blend together 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 habanero, and 1 Serrano chile. Adjust the seasoning with kosher salt to taste. Store the sauce in the fridge and allow it to chill for about an hour.

4. Coat the prawn heads in corn starch. Fry at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes. Remove and season with salt and white pepper.

5. Cut the chilled prawns into bite-sized pieces. Mix together the Agua Chile, 1 chopped Serrano chile, cucumber, red onions, cilantro stems, and cilantro oil (if using).

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