Bò bía
Bò bía is a Vietnamese classic for good reason — rice paper rounds does most of the work, and the method is rewarding enough for a weeknight. A hot pan and a little patience give you the kind of colour and texture that makes this dish. Scroll down for the ingredients, the step-by-step method, and answers to the questions we get asked most about it.
- Cook 1h
- Total 1h
- Serves 9
- Level Easy
Ingredients
- 9 Rice paper rounds
- 3 Ea. Chinese sweet sausages, lạp xưởng
- 2 Eggs
- 4 tbsp Dried small shrimps
- 400 g Jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- Lettuce, Thai basil, fresh chili
- Crushed peanuts, fried shallot
- Salt, pepper, sugar
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Garlic
- 5 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 5 tbsp Pork broth or water
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Pickled carrots and daikon
Method
- Roast the small dried shrimps without any oil in a pan by stirring constantly on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Clean the pan, fill about half full with water and bring to a boil. Cook 2 Chinese sausages for about 10 minutes to soften and remove some of the fat. Rinse the sausages well, let them cool and slide them thinly on a diagonal.
- Crack 2 eggs in a small bowl and beat them until fluffy. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.
- In a non-stick pan, add 1 tsp of vegetable oil. When it's hot enough, pour in half of the egg mixture and quickly tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the egg thinly and evenly. When one side is golden, flip it over and fry the other side for 5 more seconds. Repeat until the egg mixture has been used up.
- Let the omelettes cool completely. Roll them up and cut into half-inch strips.
- In a saucepan, heat up some cooking oil and sauté 1 tbsp of garlic until fragrant.
- Add in the jicama strips and stir-fry with some salt for about 10 to 15 minutes until it turns quite translucent and tastes naturally sweet.
- Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small sauce pan on medium-high heat, then fry 1 tbsp minced garlic till golden brown.
- Then add hoisin sauce, pork broth, peanut butter and sugar. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- Transfer to condiment bowls and top up with minced fresh chili, pickled carrots and daikon and crushed peanuts.
- Set up a rolling station with the prepared Chinese sausages, stir-fried jicama, omelette strips, fresh greens (e.g. lettuce and Thai basil), roasted small dried shrimps, some crushed peanuts and fried shallots ready on the plates.
- Prepare a small bowl with pickled carrots and daikon.
- Also prepare a large bowl of lukewarm water to soften rice paper, and a flat work surface (like a cutting board or a large plate) for the rolling job.
- To soften the rice paper, quickly dip it into a bowl of warm water (the dipping motion should take no more than 2 seconds). Gently shake off excess water and lay it on the flat surface.
- Place a piece of lettuce and a few basil leaves at one end of the paper, then continue to add some of the stir-fried jicama, few slices of the Chinese sausages, few omelette strips, some roasted small dried shrimps, some fried shallots and crushed peanuts.
- Starting from the end with vegetables, roll 1-2 rounds first until you reach the center of the rice paper, then fold both sides inwards. Then continue rolling until reaching the other end of the paper.
- Roll gently and tight enough, so that the ingredients do not fall out after one's first bite. A nice roll should show up all the colors of the ingredients inside.
- To serve, dip the salad roll in the dipping sauce or spoon some of the sauce onto the roll and have a bite.
Tips for the best Bò bía
- Taste as you go. Seasoning at the end is fine, but adjusting halfway through gives a more balanced result.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil toughens rice paper rounds and drives off the liquid too fast.
- Use a kitchen scale for the dry ingredients if you have one — baking is less forgiving than cooking.
- Rest the finished dish for a few minutes before serving — it lets the flavours settle and the texture firm up.
Variations
- Swap the pork for chicken thigh or tempeh — keep the cooking time similar and check for doneness.
- Spicier version: add a pinch of chilli flakes or a sliced fresh chilli with the aromatics.
- Slow cooker: brown everything first, then cook on low for 6–8 hours instead of simmering.
Serving ideas
Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoon of thick cream.
Storage
Keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. Most versions freeze well for 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Bò bía take to make?
About 1 hour in total — roughly under an hour of preparation and 1 hour of cooking.
What can I substitute for rice paper rounds?
Any ingredient with a similar texture and cooking time works; see the variations below for ideas. Keep quantities the same and adjust seasoning at the end.
Can I make Bò bía ahead of time?
Yes. It actually improves after a few hours, so make it earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving.
How many people does this Bò bía recipe serve?
As written it serves 9. The quantities scale up or down in a straight line, so double everything for 9×2.
Is this Bò bía recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 17 ingredients and 18 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook, CC BY-SA 4.0 — source
0 comments