Looked at one way, the entirety of the basics of Vietnamese cooking are merely four in number: sour, salt, sweet and chile heat.

For sour, Vietnamese cooks use the acidity of several foodstuffs such as rice vinegar, lime juice, tamarind, even the tartness native to lemongrass. Salt comes by way of both soy and fish sauces and from the country’s predilection for Maggi brand seasoning. But also, liberal dustings of salt are used to cook other foods such as pork shoulder or roast chicken that bring their salty savor to things such as banh mi sandwiches or rice noodle bowls.

The sweetness in Vietnamese cooking is almost always mere palm or cane sugar—both are ubiquitous—but it also arrives via coconut milk and is the mark of the country’s famed use of sweetened condensed cow’s milk, itself used for desserts and the well-known coffee preparation. Chile heat? That fire of capsaicin oil? Exclamation points throughout Viet eating, pho sure.

But more important is the interplay of these four basics, often in a single dish. As with much of Asian cooking, what is most important are the yin and yang of salt beside sweet, acidity with saltiness, hot with cool.

And then there are the foods that become the playgrounds for these interactions: a vast array of vegetables, rice in a myriad of forms and turns (noodles, sticks, “paper,” steamed, fried, sticky, puffed) and many forms of animal and aquatic protein.

Once you stock a Vietnamese pantry, you’ll also notice the influence of six decades of French colonization. One recipe here is a textbook example, with its baguette-like bread roll, liver paté, butter and mayonnaise for fat and generosity in the greens department.

A Vietnamese cook once told me that the prominent meat broth-based soup called pho (pronounced fuh, as in “fun,” but without the “n”) is both a toss to the French idea of broth-building and a corruption of the French word “feu,” as in “pot au feu.”

The basics in a Vietnamese pantry are rice and fish sauce. Can’t get away from them; they’re served at every meal, except for dessert where rice often appears once again but fish sauce generally doesn’t. Vietnam, along with its neighbor Thailand, is among the top five rice-producing countries on the planet.

Tagged alongside fish sauce and rice, in whatever form, is an enviable grocery store produce section of aromatic and flavorful greens and herbs. Cilantro, basil, mint, lemongrass, green onions and ginger are nearly as everyday as rice or fish sauce. Why not? They’re delicious. And eminently healthy.

Banh Mi Sandwich

Makes 1; easily multiplied

Ingredients

• 6-inch section baguette, halved longways
• Sprinkles of Asian fish sauce, to taste
• Sprinkles of soy or tamari sauce, to taste
• Squeeze of 1/4 fresh lime
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise (Asian provenance; check the rear label)
• 2 slices prosciutto, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons smooth-textured pork or meat paté, room temperature
• 3-4 medium-to-large leaves basil
• 1/2 small-to-medium jalapeño, stemmed, sliced crossways into thin “coins,” seeds shaken out if desired
• 5 leaves fresh mint
• Cilantro, a few thin stems and their leaves, to taste
• 3-4 tablespoons pickled vegetables (see accompanying recipe)

Directions

A few days before, make the pickled vegetables.

Take out about 1/3 of the crumb from the top half of the baguette section and a few pinches from the crumb on the bottom section. Sprinkle the fish and soy sauces and squeeze the lime juice onto the opened bread halves. Evenly butter and smear the mayonnaise along the open faces of the 2 sections of baguette.

Layer all the goods: Evenly distribute the prosciutto, paté, pickled vegetables, jalapeño, basil, mint and cilantro along the 2 sections of baguette.

Close or fold up the sandwich and serve, halving the banh mi crossways, if desired, in which case using a large toothpick or skewer to secure each smaller portion, if necessary.

Pickled Banh Mi Vegetables

Fills 2-3 small jars or 1 larger jar.

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and small-julienned (into sticks 3 inches long and 1/8-inch thick) or shredded, about 2 cups give or take
• 1 medium daikon radish, peeled and small-julienned (into sticks 3 inches long and 1/8-inch thick) or shredded, about 2 cups give or take
• 1 cup English or Persian cucumber, partially peeled, cut crossways into 1/4-inch “coins”
• 2 teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup granulated white cane sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar (or rice vinegar)

Directions

Toss the carrots and daikon with the salt in a large bowl, kneading the salt into the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes. Under running water and using a sieve, rinse the vegetables well and then, by handfuls, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from them. Pack them into the jar or jars, almost to the top.

Make the brining solution: In a heat-proof bowl, add the boiling water to the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vinegar, stirring well. Pour the brine into the jar or jars, completely submerging the vegetables. Cap and let sit for 8-10 hours or overnight. The vegetables will become sourer with time and may be stored for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator, if desired.

Cook’s note: To prepare the vegetables, it helps to use a mandolin (such as the inexpensive brand Beriner) or a vegetable peeler that also juliennes. Also, the proportions of sweet and tart in the recipe are adjustable to your own taste.

Vietnamese Pho

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, makes 4 or more servings.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 onions minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom 5 inches only, trimmed and sliced thin (or 2 tablespoons of lemongrass paste)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 8 cups beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 star anise pods
• 4 whole cloves
• 12 oz. dried flat noodles
• 3 c. bean sprouts
• 1 c. fresh Thai basil
• 1 c. fresh cilantro
• fresh green onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 12 oz. beef tenderloin or ribeye steaks, grilled and cut into small pieces

Directions

Broth

Heat oil in a large ceramic cast iron pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, lemon grass and 1 tablespoon fish sauce and lightly sauté about five more minutes. Add the rest of the fish sauce, beef broth, water, soy sauce, sugar, star anise and cloves. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for at least10 minutes until flavors are blended. Strain out the solids. Broth can be made ahead of time. Refrigerates well for a day or two and freezes nicely too.

Noodles

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the noodles uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles have cooked through, but are still firm to the bite, 4-5 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Divide the rice noodles and beef evenly into 4 large bowls. Ladle the soup on top. Serve with optional garnishes and sauches.

Optional garnishes

• Limes, cut in wedges
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Fresh chopped basil
• Sriracha chili-garlic sauce
• Hoisin sauce

Reach Bill St John at [email protected]