Fusion dynasty: a doyenne of Vietnamese cooking shares delicious dishes to make at home

Sunset, Oct, 2004 by Charity Ferreira

It's easy to imagine that Helene An, the graceful matriarch of a Vietnamese-fusion restaurant dynasty, spent her childhood in the bosom of a royal family. What's harder to imagine--as An shares both her life story and some stunning dishes--are the years of hardship between then and now.

In 1975 An and her daughters were forced to flee Saigon, arriving in San Francisco with little but the recipes she remembered from childhood. "I was fortunate to be born into a family that always entertained guests," she says. The youngest of 17 children. An watched her mother plan each evening's menu with the family's French, Chinese, and Vietnamese chefs. Those hours spent immersed in European and Asian techniques and ingredients would pay off.

In San Francisco, the displaced family turned a tiny corner deli owned by her mother-in-law into the restaurant Thanh Long, where An worked to create food that was "healthy, tasty, and beautiful," and also appealed to American palates unfamiliar with Vietnamese flavors. Noticing how popular pasta was, she created her now-famous garlic noodles--chewy, round strands coated with a silky, intensely pungent sauce, the recipe for which remains a carefully guarded secret. Thanh Long grew from 15 seats to nearly 200, and three more restaurants followed. Now An divides her time among the kitchens at Crustacean San Francisco, Crustacean Beverly Hills, and Crustacean Las Vegas & Prana Lounge.

The same qualities that make her food so accessible to restaurant diners make it perfect for home cooks. Although many of her recipes are still secrets, dishes like broiled tilapia with turmeric and dill, Vietnamese chicken salad, and a saucy eggplant-tofu ragout let you replicate An's signature blend of the familiar and the exotic.

INFO: Visit www.anfamily.com for restaurant locations.

Eggplant-Tofu Ragout

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 50 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: Serve this mild-flavored eggplant dish over hot cooked rice.

  3 tablespoons olive oil
  2 white onions (about 1 lb. total), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  3 pounds ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla)
  1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  2 teaspoons ground ginger
  1 teaspoon salt
 12 ounces Japanese or Chinese eggplant
  1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

1. Pour olive oil into a 12-inch frying pan with 2-inch-tall sides or a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions and stir frequently until limp, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; stir occasionally until tomatoes are soft and have released their juices, about 10 minutes. Stir in fish sauce, turmeric, ginger, and salt.

2. Meanwhile, rinse eggplant and cut into 1-inch chunks, discarding ends. Stir into tomato mixture along with tofu. Cover and cook until eggplant is tender when pierced, about 20 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately (see notes).

Per serving: 396 cal., 50% (198 cal.) from fat; 23 g protein; 22 g fat (3.1 g sat.); 35 g carbo (7 g fiber); 783 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

MAKES: 12 cups; 4 to 6 servings

NOTES: Chicken is an accent rather than a main ingredient, making this salad perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch.

    1 piece (2 in.) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  1/4 teaspoon salt
   10 ounces boned, skinned chicken breast
  1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
    2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla)
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
    1 teaspoon Asian red chili paste or dried hot chile flakes
    6 cups very finely shredded cabbage
    2 cups shredded carrots
    2 cups shredded jicama
    1 cup shredded English cucumber
  1/2 onion, peeled and slivered
  1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
    1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. In a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 quarts water, ginger, and salt to a simmer. Add chicken, adjust heat to maintain simmer, and cook until chicken is slightly pink in the center (cut to test) about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then lift chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, shred or slice into bite-size pieces.

2. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and chili paste. Add cabbage, carrots, jicama, cucumber, onion, celery, cilantro, mint, and chicken; mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Per serving: 153 cal., 14% (21 cal.) from fat; 14 g protein; 2.3 g fat (0.4 g sat.); 20 g carbo (5.5 g fiber); 488 mg sodium; 27 mg chol.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Broiled Tilapia

PREP AND COOK TIME: 20 minutes, plus at least 1 hour to chill

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: Serve over hot cooked rice or rice noodles.

4 tilapia fillets (6 oz. each) Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons sliced green onions