Discover 3 Vietnamese recipes, from quick favourites to slower weekend cooking.
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◷ 144 minmedium
Vietnamese chicken noodle soup with tender poached chicken, flat rice noodles and a clear, golden broth scented with charred ginger, onion and restrained toasted spices. Finish with spring onions, coriander and lime. Allow about 2½ hours, with extra time possible depending on chicken doneness and noodle instructions.
Oct 14
◷ 55 minmedium
Golden, turmeric-marinated fish with a moist, flaky centre, generously wilted dill and spring onions, soft rice noodles, lime–fish sauce dressing and crunchy roasted peanuts.
Oct 7
◷ 79 minmedium
Light, crisp baguettes filled with browned lemongrass pork, pâté and mayonnaise, balanced by sharp-sweet carrot and daikon pickles, cucumber, coriander and fresh chilli.
Oct 3Compare the ingredients, cooking time and equipment below to find a dish that fits your plans. Each recipe includes quantities and a step-by-step method.
Preparation takes 48 minutes. Cooking takes 128 minutes. Allow 144 minutes in total. Makes 4 servings. Key ingredients: whole chicken, water for the broth, onions, fresh ginger, coriander seeds. Equipment: Snug 6-litre stockpot with lid, approximately 22–24 cm wide, Grill and foil-lined metal tray, Tongs and skimming spoon, Small frying pan, Instant-read food thermometer, Clean tray, carving board and knife, Fine sieve and finishing saucepan holding at least 4 litres, Measuring jug and kettle, Separate 3–4-litre saucepan and colander for noodles, Bowl for soaking noodles if required by the packet, Four heatproof serving bowls, each holding at least 1.2 litres.
Kitchen tip: The schedule assumes the chicken reaches its safe endpoint at the first check. A bird needing 65 rather than 50 minutes of poaching adds 15 minutes; delay the finishing tasks accordingly.
Preparation takes 32 minutes. Cooking takes 29 minutes. Allow 55 minutes in total. Makes 4 servings. Key ingredients: firm white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or pollock, ground turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic, fish sauce. Equipment: 28–30 cm deep frying or sauté pan, 4 litre saucepan and colander, or a heatproof soaking bowl if required by the noodle packet, Non-reactive marinating bowl, Small dressing bowl, Separate raw-fish and ready-to-eat preparation boards and utensils, Broad fish slice and clean holding plate, Kitchen scales and measuring spoons, Four serving bowls, Food thermometer, optional.
Kitchen tip: Read the noodle packet first. A longer soaking or cooking method changes when you need to start the water; do not shorten it to match the fish.
Preparation takes 47 minutes. Cooking takes 35 minutes. Allow 79 minutes in total. Makes 4 servings. Key ingredients: raw boneless pork shoulder steaks, weighed after trimming tough connective tissue and excessive external fat, fresh lemongrass tender core, weighed after removing woody outer layers, peeled garlic, ordinary fish sauce, light soy sauce. Equipment: 28 cm heavy frying pan, Thin-tip digital food thermometer, Non-reactive bowl of at least 1.5 litres for the pickles, Bowl and cover for marinating the pork, Separate raw-meat and ready-to-eat chopping boards, Sharp knife and fine grater, One pair of tongs reserved for loading and turning raw or partly cooked pork, with a separate resting dish, A second, clean pair of tongs reserved for transferring fully cooked pork and assembling sandwiches, Clean plate and foil for cooked pork, Baking tray large enough for four baguettes without stacking, Sieve, Kitchen paper for removing burnt pan residue.
Kitchen tip: A 28 cm pan should hold about 200 g sliced pork in one uncrowded layer. If yours cannot, use more batches and allow extra cooking time rather than stacking the meat.