A delicious recipe for traditional Vietnamese steamed omelet that is as simple as it is comforting
Today, we’re exploring an unusual Vietnamese recipe that’s almost unknown in France. A delicious mixture of egg, mushrooms, and meat, all steamed for a hassle-free preparation and a comforting result.
What is Chả trứng thịt?
Mainly consumed in southern Vietnam, it’s a dish that roughly falls into the category of Chả, steamed meats (similar to Chả Huế used to make a delicious Bún bò Huế).
Often associated with the famous three treasures rice, this dish can take different forms depending on the specific ingredients used. Here, the full name should be Chả trứng thịt heo, which means steamed pork meat with eggs.
As this is the most common variant, the recipe title is usually limited to the three words.
I’ve read that originally, duck eggs (salted or fresh) were used, but I haven’t really found other sources on this
The main ingredients of Chả trứng
Pork: It’s important to have a good amount of fat in it. If you use another meat, the same rule applies
Fish sauce: choose a quality one, such as Phú Quốc. If it’s not available, look at the proportion of fish on the label to determine its quality
Vermicelli/noodles: use rice or glass vermicelli, or even Vietnamese shredded pork rind (da bi). I repeat, the size should be vermicelli
Tips for successful preparation
Plan for a few extra eggs: Depending on the size of your eggs and the size of your dish, if you want a nice yellow layer as shown in the photo, you may need a few extra eggs to have enough yolk
Preheat the steamer: Don’t start cooking from cold, otherwise the cooking times won’t be the same (and raw pork isn’t great)
Rehydrating the mushrooms: This may take a little longer than expected, depending on their size
Vietnamese Steamed Omelet – Chả trứng thịt
Matériel
Ingredients
- 450 g ground pork 30% fat content
- 0.5 of onion chopped
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 eggs with yolks and whites separated
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 bunch of mung bean noodles
- 1 small handful of black mushrooms dried
- 0.5 teaspoon of sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons of fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- A few green onions very finely sliced, for garnish
Procédé
- Soak the mung bean noodles and black mushrooms in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes.1 bunch of mung bean noodles, 1 small handful of black mushrooms
- Drain the noodles and mushrooms thoroughly.
- Cut the noodles into pieces about 2.5 cm long.
- Chop the mushrooms. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the noodles, mushrooms, onion, green onions, ground meat, garlic powder, fish sauce, and white pepper.450 g ground pork, 0.5 of onion, 4 green onions, 0.5 teaspoon of sugar, 0.25 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon white pepper, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Add the whole eggs to the mixture.4 whole eggs
- For the remaining eggs, separate the yolks and set them aside in a small bowl. Whisk with the sliced green onions.2 eggs, A few green onions
- Add the egg whites to the meat mixture.
- Mix all ingredients well to obtain a homogeneous preparation.
- Pour the meat mixture into a ceramic or metal container and level it.
- Heat water over medium-high heat, wait for it to start boiling.
- Place the container in the steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.
- Lift the steamer lid and brush the surface of the preparation with the beaten egg yolks and green onions.
- Steam for another 5 minutes (covered, of course)
- Let it cool before removing from the steamer.
- Serve with rice.
