Vietnamese chili paste help

[jmolinari]

In 2 different restaurants here in Atlanta they have on the table a chili paste. Apparently they both make their own, but they taste very very similar, so i think it may be a standard Vietnamese chili sauce.

I talked to the chef and he told me it was made with garlic, shallots, sambal, lemongrass and dry chilis and oil. I didn't ask him proportions as it was the 1st time at his restaurant, and i was wondering if anyone knew this chili paste. It is a table condiment served in a jar with a spoon (just like sambal would be). It is so delicious, it is aromatic, and spicy, but not too spicy like some chili sauces.

Looking for any help on how to prepare this condiment.

jason

[Stupid_American]

On the tables of most restaurants around Little Saigon, Westminster CA, you'll see this stuff.

It would be a good base for you to start with.

Its smoother brother is also a standard.

I love the stuff on most anything.

It's even great on scrambled eggs!

[jmolinari]

Nope not it, Stupid_american.

this paste is a home made concoction of garlic, shallots, lemongrass, chilis, and is served along side the sambal and the sriracha.

it seems to be the vietnamese equivalent to nam prik pao (chili jam) in thailand.

[jmolinari]

I went back to the restaurant today and spoke with the chef, who very kindly gave me the recipe. I made it tonight and it is superb. I'm posting it in case anyone is interested. I weighed everything as i went to be able to reproduce it.

25g garlic

30g shallots

80g lemon grass

8g fresh thai bird chilis

~1 cup peanut oil

2.5 tsp sugar

3 Tbl. fish sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp. MSG

3-4 Tbl. sriracha chili sauce

30g crushed red thai chilis, the dry red ones about 3-4" long

Food process the garlic, shallots and lemon grass separately. Get the garlic and shallots to a fine mince size, and the lemon grass well processed, but not to powder. Mince the fresh bird chilis by hand

Put 1/4 cup oil in small sauce pan, add garlic. Let fry on low low heat for 5 minutes.

Add shallots and 2 T. oil, keep frying on low heat for 10 minutes more. It should just sizzle and cook gently, no browning.

Add lemon grass, and 1/4 cup oil. Let fry on low for another 10-15 minutes.

Add minced bird chilis, fry for 5 minutes

Add crushed red pepper, fry for 5-10 minutes, and 1/4 cup oil

Add sriracha to achieve the desired color, about 3-4T., and the rest of the ingredients. Let cook another minute or 2. Add more oil as needed to barely cover the top. ( I added about 3 or 4 more Tbl.)

I also buzzed it with a hand blender, for just a little to make it a touch smoother. Not much.

That's it! I don't know if doing how i did with the oil (adding it in doses) is the best way, but i didn't know how much i would need, so i added some as needed to keep the ingredients just barely covered by it as they fried. The salt, sugar, fish sauce, msg was to taste. It gets pretty hard to distinguish flavors while taste testing a chili paste after 4 or 5 tries

Next time i might use a little less thai bird chilis so i can get a little less heat, and have the other flavors come out more, but it is really really good as it is. All the flavors come through well.

Hope you make it and like it as much as i do.

Oh, the chef said it is a vietnamese style sa te sauce.

jason

[jmolinari]

Oh, this made exactly enough to fill a pint mason jar.

[kanzis_slave]

Thank you for that. I'm looking forward to trying it. It's been frustrating for me back here in the USA because all the bottled chili sauce they use in VN restaurants and sell in the Asian food stores here is not the same thing commonly used in Vietnam. It all seems to come from Thailand or Taiwan, which of course are not the same recipe.

The other common condiment I'm looking for is the brown bean sauce used in VN, requently used with Pho and other soups. It always sits right along with chili sauce on the table. It's mild and sweet. My VN friends here in the USA use Hoisin sauce, but that's not the same thing.