Nem Chua Rau Sống (Nem Chua with Fresh Herb Platter)

Name: Nem Chua Rau Sống (Nem Chua with Fresh Herb Platter)
Prep time: 20 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 10 nem chua parcels; 1 large handful perilla leaves (tía tô); 1 large handful Vietnamese mint (rau răm); 1 large handful Thai basil (rau quế); 1 small cucumber, sliced into spears; 100g banana blossom (bắp chuối), finely shredded (optional); 1 handful bean sprouts; For nước chấm: 3 tbsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp sugar; 4 tbsp water; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 2 bird's eye chillies, sliced

Recipes with Nem Chua

Rau sống means fresh raw vegetables and herbs, and in Vietnamese table culture a rau sống platter accompanies most grilled or cured meats as a matter of course. Here it is built specifically for nem chua: bitter perilla, sweet basil, crunchy water spinach stems, cucumber, and banana blossom alongside the fermented sausage and a bowl of dipping sauce. Each guest assembles bites at the table. The herb selection is the recipe.

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

0 min

Servings

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

10 nem chua parcels
1 large handful perilla leaves (tía tô)
1 large handful Vietnamese mint (rau răm)
1 large handful Thai basil (rau quế)
1 small cucumber, sliced into spears
100g banana blossom (bắp chuối), finely shredded (optional)
1 handful bean sprouts
For nước chấm: 3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 bird's eye chillies, sliced

Steps

Make the nước chấm: dissolve sugar in the water and fish sauce, then add lime juice, garlic, and chilli. Taste: the sauce should balance sour, salty, sweet, and a mild heat. Pour into small individual dipping bowls.

Wash all herbs and vegetables and pat dry. Shred banana blossom very fine if using, and keep it in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lime juice to prevent browning until needed.

Arrange the herbs and vegetables on a large flat plate or banana leaf: perilla at one end, Vietnamese mint, basil, cucumber spears, drained banana blossom if using, and bean sprouts. Keep the different herbs in loose piles so guests can choose.

Unwrap the nem chua parcels and place the sausages in a separate shallow dish, whole or halved lengthwise.

Serve both plates at the table at the same time. Each guest takes a leaf of perilla or basil, adds a piece of nem chua, a few herbs, and a sliver of cucumber, and dips the assembled bite into the nước chấm.

Tips

Vietnamese mint (rau răm) has a peppery, slightly medicinal edge that stands up to the sourness of the nem chua more than Thai basil does. If only one herb is available, rau răm is the stronger choice. Banana blossom adds a fibrous chew and a mild bitterness; shred it very fine or it overpowers the herb platter.