This is a Vietnamese fairy tale about a laborer who is exploited by a wealthy landowner. In order to keep and motivate the laborer, the landowner promises to reward him with marriage to his daughter after three years of labor. When the time for marriage arrives, the landowner breaks his promise by offering his daughter to another man. When the laborer complains, the landowner tries to trick him again by sending him in search of a bamboo stalk with one hundred segments, again promising him his daughter if the laborer can find the bamboo stalk. After divine intervention, the laborer triumphs in the end.
This fairy tale goes well with this Bamboo and Cabbage Soup.
1 litre Vegetable stock:
- 1 litre water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
- ¼ tsp rock sugar
- 300g chopped cabbage and bamboo sprouts
Shrimp mousse:
- 200 g prawns, peeled
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp coarse black pepper
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup white spring onions and shallots,
- chopped finely 1 egg white
The rest:
6 cabbage leaves
12 spring onions
8 carrot flowers, finely sliced
Sesame oil
½ cup spring onion curls
½ cup coriander leaves
½ tsp coarse black pepper
Method:
Blend all of the ingredients for the shrimp mousse together in a blender.
Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil.
Cook leaves for two minutes then set aside.
First make the vegetable stock: - Bring water to the boil, add salt, rock sugar, fish sauce, cabbage. Cook for 25 minutes on a low hear.
Cut the bottom white part off the 12 spring onions then blanch the green part for 30 seconds in the same hot water. Set aside.
To make your dumplings, take 2 teaspoons and dip in oil to avoid the mixture sticking to spoons. Take a small amount of the shrimp mousse mixture and mould into an oval shape using both of the spoons as a guide. Make 12 in total – any leftover mousse can be made into small balls and dropped into the broth at the last moment.
Poach the dumplings in the vegetable broth for one minute, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Cut the cabbage leaves into small squares, 10c m x 15 cm, reserving any left over cabbage. Place the first cabbage leaf on a flat surface and place the dumpling in the middle, allowing 2cm space on each side.
Fold over the sides of the cabbage leaf and tie up with a spring onion in a small bow.
Once you’ve done all 12 parcels, place them in the broth with the carrot slices, left over torn cabbage leaves and prawn mousse balls.
Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Serve in a bowl topped with spring onion curls, bamboo sprouts, coriander leaves, a pinch of black pepper and a few drops of sesame seed oil.
