The dipping sauce for Nem Nuong Cuon at Brodard in Orange County is legendary. A perfect blend of savory and sweet infused with garlic and chili, it's a rich and flavorful complement to the grilled pork spring rolls. This signature orange sauce is so beloved, everyone tries to replicate it at home and I think we have come close to recreating that taste.
Ingredients
Annatto oil:
¼cupavocado oil, or any neutral oil
1Tbspannatto seeds
Ingredients:
1Tbspgarlic, minced
¼cupannatto oil
¼cupshallots, minced
¼lbground pork
¼lbshrimp , with head on, peeled, rough chop, save the shells and head
1litercoconut water
1Tbspmushroom powder
½Tbsprock sugar
2Tbspcornstarch, mixed with ¼ cup water
2Tbsphoisin
2Tbspalmond butter, or peanut butter
2Tbspfish sauce
1Tbspwhite vinegar
1egg, beaten
peanuts, chopped for garnish
1Tbsptomato paste
1Tbspchili paste
Instructions
Annatto oil:
In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add oil.
When hot, remove saucepan from heat and add annatto seeds. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then remove seeds.
Instructions:
Heat up a pan and add the annatto oil.
Then add garlic, shallots and shrimp heads and shells. Cook for a couple of minutes until shallots are soft.
Add ground pork and cook for a few minutes, until it's no longer pink.
Add shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes more, until shrimp turns pink.
Then add coconut water, mushroom powder, rock sugar, cornstarch mix, hoisin, almond butter, fish sauce and vinegar.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and remove the shrimp shells.
With a hand blender, purée the sauce mix .
Then add one egg, stirring it with a fork in one direction.
Slowly mix it up so you can still see streaks of the egg.
Turn heat on to high and let it cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
Serve in individual ramekins and top with crushed peanuts.