1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,080 MAEVE O'MEARA: It's Vietnamese week on The Chefs' Line. 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:05,240 Strong. Strong. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:07,440 Thanks, peanut gallery. (LAUGHS) 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,720 And for our final Vietnamese cook-off, 5 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,120 it's a competition for the best hot and sour soup. 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,920 This is very special, and you can't find it anywhere else. 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,960 An homage to authentic Vietnamese cuisine, 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,600 with a broth rich in traditional flavours. 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,160 It's the perfect balance of hot and sour, sweet and salty. 10 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,840 That will be awesome. 11 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:30,880 All week... 12 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,560 Come and get your trophy, darl. 13 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,000 ..home cook Tam has been testing her Vietnamese recipes 14 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,120 against top Vietnamese restaurant Annam... 15 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,480 JERRY: The delicateness - that's my translation here. 16 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,560 ..in a competition that escalated in difficulty, 17 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,200 starting with the apprentice 18 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,800 and ending tonight with the final stop in their chefs' line - 19 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,400 head chef Jerry. 20 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:53,720 How are you doing, Jerry? 21 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,240 Look, I'm seeing your duck over there. 22 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,880 Kind of think that I undersold myself in this. 23 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:04,440 But whose hot and sour soup will win Vietnamese week on The Chefs' Line? 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,200 Tonight we are bringing together 25 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,720 everything I love about Vietnamese cooking 26 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:18,200 in a single dish. 27 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:19,960 It's hot and sour soup! 28 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:21,800 (APPLAUSE) 29 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,320 Head chef Jerry, 30 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,840 how are you feeling about tonight's head to head cook-off 31 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:27,320 with our home cook? 32 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,800 I'm a bit nervous. She's been great the whole cook. 33 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000 She's got two trophies there, freaking me out and staring me down. 34 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,520 (LAUGHS) So, you know, I'm gonna bring this. 35 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,040 MELISSA LEONG: Tam... 36 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,640 Now, you've won best plate on the pass not once, but twice. 37 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:43,160 What's your secret? 38 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,240 Well, I guess it's just passion. 39 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,680 So tonight's blind judge will be Mark. 40 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:52,720 He'll be picking the best plate on the pass, 41 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,200 and also the winner of Vietnamese week. 42 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,520 Look, I mightn't be an expert in Vietnamese, 43 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,440 but I can taste love and passion in food. 44 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:04,880 Good luck! 45 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,040 Tam, any final words for head chef Jerry? 46 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:10,680 Yes. 47 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:13,760 You are going down. 48 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,000 (LAUGHS) I'm coming for the trophies, mate. 49 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,200 (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) 50 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:20,680 Excellent. 51 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,240 You both have 60 minutes 52 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,160 to get your wonderful hot and sour soups on the pass. 53 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,680 Let's cook! 54 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,000 CHEFS: (CHANT) Jerry, Jerry, Jerry! 55 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,120 JERRY: So Tam's done a really good job. 56 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,400 She's got two trophies under her belt now. 57 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:40,880 I'm up against her, 58 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,680 and it's gonna be a really tough battle. 59 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:44,400 It's gonna be a really interesting battle. 60 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,640 I reckon I can do it... maybe. 61 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,840 Head chef Jerry... oh, my gosh. Look at her. 62 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,040 She got the muscle, she got the mohawk. 63 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,160 I think she's gonna chew me up and spit me out, you know? (LAUGHS) 64 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,760 But with the victory over the last round, I feel very confident. 65 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:03,920 And... game on. 66 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,320 MELISSA LEONG: Well, Dan you're clearly the expert here. 67 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:08,840 You grew up eating this. 68 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,640 What do you love about this dish? 69 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,080 Well, I love the amount of textures and flavours 70 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,080 and freshness within this soup. 71 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,760 You know, I love the sourness that usually comes from tamarind, 72 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,200 I love the different types of vegetables. 73 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,360 I also love just the fresh herbs that go in there. 74 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,640 It sounds so simple. Not so much. 75 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,360 Tonight I'm cooking duck and Vietnamese fruit soup. 76 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,360 This is a very special dish based on my childhood, 77 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,640 with this special fruit - it's called sau - from Vietnam. 78 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,640 I grew up in Vietnam during the US sanction. 79 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,880 Food was very limited. 80 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,600 I grew up in a street that's full of this tree. 81 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,080 My father would just boil some spinach, 82 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,360 throw in some sau fruit to give it the sour taste. 83 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,280 It goes very well with rice. 84 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,440 Because it's been specially shipped to here. 85 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,560 Ah, right. They're amazing. Can I try it? 86 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,480 Yes. Yes. It has... sour taste. 87 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,120 Be careful. Mmm. 88 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:11,600 It's very, very sour. 89 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:13,840 Almost kind of like a pickled lime or something. 90 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,360 Yes. Yeah, wow. 91 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,560 And nothing can give you this sour taste. 92 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:19,040 Wow. Like this. 93 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,640 So your dad taught you how to make this, 94 00:04:20,840 --> 00:04:24,160 and obviously your dad's very, very important to your cooking. 95 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,080 Yes, he is. 96 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:29,040 Every time he made this, I'd be like jumping up and down, say, "yay!" 97 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,600 Amazing. 98 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,560 Well, I... are you hoping that Mark will do the same thing tonight? 99 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,160 I hope so. (LAUGHS) 100 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:36,640 (LAUGHS) Wonderful. 101 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:39,360 Best of luck. Thank you. Thank you very much. 102 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:45,240 So the first thing I do is smash up all the herbs and the spices 103 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:46,880 to make the stock. 104 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,480 Chilli, ginger, garlic, lemongrass... 105 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,480 ..and then throw in the bowl. 106 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,280 OK, done. 107 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:03,000 Tonight, I'll be making my family recipe Vietnamese hot and sour soup, 108 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,080 otherwise known as canh chua. 109 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,920 It's both a bit of my mum and my dad - 110 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:09,680 something that I go home to my mum's house, 111 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:11,200 and this is the dish I ask for. 112 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:12,720 It's a homely dish. 113 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:14,920 It just gives me a big hug. 114 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,840 My brothers and I love it. The dish means a lot to me. 115 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,800 The first thing, the most important thing to put on, is the broth. 116 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,440 My mother's very persistent in using chicken stock. 117 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:27,840 JUDY: Nice opening of that bag. 118 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,560 Oh, strong. Strong. Strong. 119 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,360 Thanks, peanut gallery. (LAUGHTER) 120 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,680 My father is very persistent that you use fishbones. 121 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,520 So you extract some light fishy flavour 122 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:42,400 without overpowering the stock itself. 123 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,760 ♪ Off, off, off with your head... ♪ 124 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,320 So I've gotta a happy medium here. 125 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,720 Hopefully they'll be happy with that. 126 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:51,760 The broth is the heart and soul of this dish. 127 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:53,760 If I don't get this part of it right, 128 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,080 I may as well just call it a fish and vegetable soup. 129 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,320 Based on the very simple sour soup my father did, 130 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,360 I created a new dish with duck. 131 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,840 Duck will give the stock... 132 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:16,080 And also I will use the duck breast to serve as the meat, the main meal. 133 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,480 After chopping up the duck, 134 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:27,440 I just marinate in the mixing bowl of herbs and spices, 135 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:32,000 adding some chicken stock powder to make it beautiful. 136 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,360 Now it's time to put up a big pot. 137 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:42,360 I chop up some onion, garlic, and quickly stir fry it with some oil, 138 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,640 just to have it fragrance, 139 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:48,520 and then I throw the duck in there, stir fry it, 140 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,840 and it smells so good. 141 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,200 My duck is stir frying, 142 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,560 but it needed some hot water to add in to make the soup. 143 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,480 The pot is so hot, and then you pour the water in, 144 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,480 and all the smell is just so beautiful. 145 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,320 I'm hungry. 146 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,240 Smells spicy. Mmm. 147 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,760 There's a bit tricky, 148 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:15,320 because the whole duck need to be cooked very well 149 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,880 to give the flavour to the broth. 150 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,720 But... the duck breast must not be overcooked, 151 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:23,840 or else it will go very tough. 152 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:25,440 OK. 153 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,480 ♪ You gotta bring it, yo 154 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,200 ♪ Peanut, peanut, peanut... ♪ 155 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,360 Where do I begin with the peanut gallery? 156 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,200 I wouldn't mind a bag of peanuts right now. 157 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:36,680 You're a bag of peanuts. 158 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:38,640 So I thought I'd better keep them quiet, 159 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,200 so I gave them a bowl of peanuts. 160 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,640 Here's something I prepared earlier for the peanut gallery. 161 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,680 DANTON AND JUDY: Yay! 162 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:46,360 Some peanuts. 163 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:48,640 Keep 'em quiet back there. Leave me alone. 164 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:50,640 (LAUGHTER) (LAUGHS) 165 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,720 So what I'm doing now is... I've got my stock on, 166 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:55,440 I've got a cheeky bit of rice on, 167 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:56,960 so we'll see how that goes. 168 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,160 Gotta add the pineapple to flavour my stock a little bit. 169 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,880 Because the broth needs to be a little bit spicy in the back palate, 170 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,880 nice and sour and punchy and sweet and salty, 171 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,240 so when it hits your palate, all your senses go, like, "Wow." 172 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,400 So... canh chua. Yes. 173 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,120 It's a very popular family style dish 174 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,120 that we all love going home to eat. 175 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,800 And have you served it to your parents before? 176 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,920 Uh, my parents still think I can't cook. 177 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:26,920 Unlike your mother - she thinks that you can cook. 178 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:28,400 She knows you can cook. 179 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,280 Well, I never cook Vietnamese food for my mum, 180 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,080 'cause I know that it'll never be as good. 181 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,800 See, that's where I'm going wrong. Never cook Viet, huh? 182 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:36,440 I gotta learn that. 183 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,760 I gotta go home and start cooking steak and chips for them. 184 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,040 Yeah, that's right. (LAUGHTER) 185 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,640 My next thing was getting all the elements in the broth. 186 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:50,160 So my sour elements are my tamarind, my cherry tomatoes and my pineapple. 187 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,800 The sweet is sugar and also pineapple, 188 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,680 and the sugars from the tomatoes as well, 189 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:56,320 'cause I had grilled the tomatoes. 190 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,320 And then I just left that to do its thing, 191 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,000 really nice and just simmer away. 192 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,720 And then I add fish sauce, so just balance out all those flavours. 193 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,040 Well, Jerry's doing the traditional southern style canh chua, 194 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:09,280 as we call it, 195 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:10,840 the one I grew up with. 196 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,240 She's doing a mixture of her father and her mother's recipes. 197 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,840 Usually you would poach the fish in the stock near the end. 198 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,320 She's decided to pan-fry barramundi fillets. 199 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,520 So she's doing a more refined take on the canh chua. 200 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,440 You know, if she cooks that barramundi perfectly, 201 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:29,680 she's already halfway through the door. 202 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:30,680 Yeah. 203 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,960 I mean, we all know how much Mark loves barra. Yep. 204 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,600 But then we can get a home cook from Vietnam, from the north, 205 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,800 that can introduce me to a brand-new dish that I've never seen before. 206 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:40,640 Yeah. That must be super exciting. 207 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,000 This is a totally different hot and sour soup from the north - 208 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:45,480 very regional dish. 209 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:48,160 And what do you make of all of these specialty ingredients 210 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:49,880 that Tam's brought to the table tonight? 211 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,440 That special sour fruit, sau that she calls it. 212 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:54,320 You know, discovering something brand-new. 213 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,360 It's amazing. It's just really great. 214 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,280 MAEVE O'MEARA: It's Vietnamese week in the Chefs' Line kitchen. 215 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:04,840 JERRY: What would I do without you guys? 216 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,720 I'm here for you, babe. I'm here for you. What would I do without you guys? 217 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,720 And it's a battle for the best hot and sour soup. 218 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,080 Home cook Tam is making duck with Vietnamese fruit soup, 219 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,520 featuring sau, a sour Vietnamese tree fruit. 220 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,000 TAM: Perfect. 221 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:24,240 Head chef Jerry is combining her mum and dad's recipes 222 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,680 to make a more traditional style hot and sour soup with barramundi. 223 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,440 Both want to impress blind tasting judge Mark, 224 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,040 who will pick the winning dish. 225 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,800 I had hot and sour soup when I was a young kid. 226 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,880 I grew up in a community with Vietnamese people, 227 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,200 and we got to go over and try, you know, soups 228 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:42,800 and different types of things, 229 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,280 and it was only years later 230 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,880 that I found out that it was hot and sour soup. 231 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:48,720 Really loved the flavours, 232 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,040 loved the hot, loved the sour from the tamarind, 233 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,360 and all the herbs that they used to put in them was just amazing. 234 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:59,560 You want to taste that, and really, really, um... enjoy that experience. 235 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:03,520 JERRY: The next element is the garlic oil. 236 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,520 I chop up a garlic, heat up some oil, 237 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,440 I put my garlic through it and just slowly cook it. 238 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,240 I want a really nice golden colour through my garlic 239 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,880 to add to the fish once it's ready to be plated. 240 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,920 Next is getting all the herb elements together. 241 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,080 Sawtooth, rice paddy herb, 242 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,360 Thai basil... chilli... 243 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,280 ..elephant's ear. 244 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,400 It's a vegetable with a really nice big leaf, like an elephant's ear. 245 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,840 There's a lot of holes, like a little sponge. 246 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,920 So it's fantastic to absorb the broth 247 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,240 and when you eat it, it's just, like, bursting out at you. 248 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,640 Getting all that ready, putting that aside. 249 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,160 Wow. Those stocks smell like they're coming together really well. 250 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,080 About 20 minutes to go. 251 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,360 Now my duck is boiled, I have to take out the duck breast. 252 00:11:54,560 --> 00:11:58,400 Duck breast should be not overcooked. 253 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,880 So it should be... to keep the tenderness of it. 254 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,840 And when I slice the duck breast, 255 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,440 I just realise that... it's too pink. 256 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,080 It's not what I wanted. 257 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,000 I mean, duck's always good if it's cooked right. 258 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,160 The duck is a bit too rare, 259 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,640 so I'm gonna pop it back to the pot. 260 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:21,840 One thing that I'm bit concerned - 261 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,080 that duck cooking twice, it can be tough, can ruin it. 262 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:30,440 Three minutes later, I take it out... 263 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,240 ..I slice my duck again. 264 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,560 And now it's perfect. 265 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:39,440 I just strain all the bones and the herbs and spices out, 266 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,200 just to get the liquid of it. 267 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:47,280 To add into the flavour for the soup, I use enoki mushroom. 268 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,400 Ooh... smells good! 269 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,920 It gives crunchiness to the dish. 270 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,800 You have the sour taste from the fruit. 271 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,160 You have the hot taste from the chilli. 272 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,280 And then you have a bit of crunch from the enoki mushroom, 273 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,640 so the combination will be perfect. 274 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,040 Oh, it's beautiful. So good! 275 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,120 Are you gonna cook the fish now? Oui, chef. 276 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,200 Getting my fillet, making sure... getting all my portions out of it. 277 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,040 A little pinch of salt. 278 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,960 Getting a pan on, I heat up some oil, put on the fish... 279 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,840 making sure the contact from the skin is on the pan 280 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:30,760 for a decent amount of time. 281 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,080 I gotta nail that fish. 282 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:37,240 I gotta get that skin real crispy, and I want it cooked just through. 283 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:38,840 I don't wanna overcook it. 284 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,400 I do not want to overcook barramundi for Mark. 285 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,760 Traditionally, the fish is poached in the liquid. 286 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,560 And then just taking that out and resting a little bit. 287 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,680 How you going there, Tam? Good. How are you? 288 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:02,160 You alright? I'm doing good. I see some bread. 289 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,920 Garlic bread, is it garlic bread? No. This is Vietnamese bread. 290 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:07,400 Nice one. 291 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,520 For the Vietnamese baguette, I mix the basil with butter. 292 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:15,760 And spread it on the baguette slice. 293 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:21,280 Every time I create a dish, I always think about the balance. 294 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,080 I've got protein, I've got the soup... 295 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,440 But what's missing? It's carb. 296 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,560 That's why I'm adding the Vietnamese baguette. 297 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,160 And it goes so well with the soup. 298 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,440 These smells are really taking me back. 299 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:37,480 I can't wait to see what you guys put up. 300 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,600 Five minutes to go. Plate up when you're ready, guys. 301 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,680 How's the barra skin? 302 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,640 Nice. Nice now. Yes. Crisp AF. 303 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,280 To plate was just a matter of putting all those elements together - 304 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:51,960 the elephant's ear... 305 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,200 Tomato, tomato, tomato. Tomatoes. 306 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,200 Bean shoot, bean shoot. Bean shoots. 307 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:02,880 ..the fish... 308 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:05,520 Do you want a tweezer? Yes, chef. 309 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,040 (LAUGHS) Hey, hey! Where are they? Oh. 310 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:09,800 I know where they are. 311 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,200 ..all the beautiful, fragrant herbs - 312 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:17,120 rice paddy herb, the Thai basil, sawtooth, 313 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,760 little bit of chilli just for a little, you know, kick on the side, 314 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:22,400 the garlic oil... 315 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,760 ..and then that wonderful broth. 316 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,200 This duck smells pretty good. 317 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,200 TAM: I only have one minute to go, 318 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,000 and I have to quickly present everything, 319 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:38,720 put it on the plate. 320 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:40,200 With the duck slice, 321 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,960 I just arrange them beautifully running around the bowl. 322 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,880 In the centre, I put some enoki mushroom. 323 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:51,760 And pour the soup in. 324 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,080 Drizzle with some chilli oil 325 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,480 to have the hot taste. 326 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,720 To garnish it, I just use the basil leaf just to finish it off. 327 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,760 That duck smells pretty primo. 328 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:07,320 Looks like Jerry's coming up. 329 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:08,880 CHEFS: Yes! 330 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:10,960 Strong. Strong. 331 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,400 Strong. The recipe's really special to me. 332 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,680 MELISSA LEONG: Well done, chef. This dish encompasses why I do this. 333 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,720 It was cooking from memory and from love, and from passion. 334 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,040 I'm so glad I can share it with them. 335 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,240 Go, Tam! (APPLAUSE) 336 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:36,320 TAM: Taking my dish to the pass, I just feel so proud. 337 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,000 Oh, my gosh. 338 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,480 MAEVE O'MEARA: It's Vietnamese week on The Chef's Line, 339 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,800 and it's a cook-off for the best hot and sour soup. 340 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,520 Home cook Tam has taken her dad's recipe to the next level, 341 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,280 serving duck breast with a sau fruit broth. 342 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,320 Head chef Jerry from restaurant Annam 343 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:06,920 has refined her family's version of hot and sour soup 344 00:17:07,120 --> 00:17:09,000 with pan-fried barramundi. 345 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,960 Now blind tasting judge Mark will taste each dish 346 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,880 and pick tonight's best plate on the pass. 347 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:18,800 Hello. DAN HONG: Hey, Mark. 348 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:24,680 Look - two very different bowls of Vietnamese hot and sour soup. 349 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,440 Really, really colourful. 350 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,720 And... hello - is that duck? 351 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,880 That is duck. (GASPS) 352 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,360 Is that barramundi? 353 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:33,720 Yes, it's barra, mate! 354 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:35,440 Your favourite fish. 355 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,960 Heaven! (LAUGHS) 356 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,320 To me, it's always hot and sour soup, 357 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,520 but how do you say it in Vietnamese, Dan? 358 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:44,480 Canh chua. Canh chua. 359 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,040 I'll stick to hot and sour soup. (LAUGHS) 360 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,120 You know what - growing up, I had a Vietnamese family in our street. 361 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:52,600 I experienced this soup, 362 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,560 and I have these memories of that lovely sour and that warm taste. 363 00:17:57,760 --> 00:17:59,840 It was really, really comforting food. 364 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,960 Where do we wanna start? I think I really wanna start here. 365 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,880 Mark, this is duck in Vietnamese fruit soup. 366 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:14,480 Ooh. Great presentation. Is the fruit in the broth? 367 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,000 It's infused into the broth. OK. 368 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,000 Look, I love duck. 369 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,200 You can see the nice little pink hue through here. 370 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,040 I love that texture. 371 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,240 And the enoki mushrooms... look... 372 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,440 Mmm. They're just beautiful. 373 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,600 They're just... you know, that little bit of crunch 374 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,120 that you're looking for there. 375 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:40,760 But then it brings me to the broth. 376 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,480 It's a really nice balance. 377 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:48,720 You know what - I can't nail the fruit. 378 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,920 Like tamarind, but it's not tamarind. Mmm. 379 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:55,080 I've got this nice, little sour taste. 380 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,000 Well, you're absolutely bang-on. 381 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:59,880 It is quite literally a Vietnamese sour fruit. 382 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,320 It's an indigenous fruit to Vietnam. Oh, OK. 383 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:04,240 So that's been used instead of tamarind 384 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,000 to give the sourness to this hot and sour soup. 385 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,400 I had never tasted it up until this evening either. 386 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,400 I had never tasted it until this evening. 387 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:13,280 That's how regional this dish is. 388 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,760 Wow. This is a great start. 389 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,840 I love the addition of the special fruit, 390 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:21,480 because I've never heard of it. 391 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,520 And I love it. Overall, it's a great dish. 392 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,320 Well, Mark, one more hot and sour soup to try. 393 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:29,720 Barramundi! 394 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,320 This is canh chua - Vietnamese hot and sour soup. 395 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,080 You know, this looks classic. 396 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,680 Just standing here, the aromas... I'm 14 again. (LAUGHS) 397 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:46,880 You know, my memory is that scent, that... that's coming through. 398 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:48,920 And this is... Yeah. 399 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,280 Oh! Lovely. The barramundi. 400 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,680 And look... elephant ears? That's right. 401 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:58,760 I'm going in. 402 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:07,560 Oh. The barramundi is beautiful. It's nice and soft and creamy. 403 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:11,960 The tomato. 404 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:16,880 I can taste the tamarind in that. 405 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:19,920 Can taste the heat through there. 406 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:23,960 This is taking me back to my childhood, my memories. 407 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:25,520 It's a real knockout. 408 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:27,000 The flavours are balanced. 409 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,000 Got that lovely sour. 410 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,160 The tomato gives me that little bit of sweetness with that pineapple. 411 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,360 Bless it with some fish sauce. 412 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:37,000 Watch this. 413 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,880 You know what I love about this soup? 414 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:46,480 It's the different layers you get. 415 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,680 One mouthful, three or four tastes. It's just like our indigenous herbs. 416 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,760 You have one fruit - you get two different flavours out of it. 417 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,800 This is what this reminds me of. 418 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,960 Mmm. That is super tasty. 419 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,560 Both of these dishes are cracking dishes. 420 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,680 One takes me to somewhere new, 421 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,280 another one takes me to somewhere old. 422 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,080 Old or new, it's time for you to make your decision. 423 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:10,680 It's gonna be tough. 424 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,160 MAEVE O'MEARA: It's Vietnamese week in the Chefs' Line kitchen. 425 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:26,240 Home cook Tam and head chef Jerry from Melbourne's restaurant Annam 426 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,880 have created two impressive hot and sour soups. 427 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,800 Blind tasting judge Mark has tasted both dishes 428 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,120 and now must pick his best plate on the pass. 429 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,000 MELISSA LEONG: Well, what an incredible end to Vietnamese week - 430 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,400 two steaming bowls of goodness 431 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:47,080 that perfectly encapsulate the heart and the soul of Vietnamese cuisine. 432 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,040 Thank you both so much. (APPLAUSE) 433 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:56,920 Mark, two very different bowls of hot and sour soup on the pass. 434 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,840 Which one is your favourite? 435 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:01,600 Both of these dishes 436 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,480 brought me the balance of hot and sour, sweet and salty. 437 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,120 The fish soup took me back to being 14 years old 438 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,360 sitting with my Vietnamese neighbours. 439 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,440 The duck soup took me on a journey where I've never been before. 440 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,320 It was exciting. It was new. 441 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:20,840 It was a tough choice. 442 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,120 But the dish I've chosen as best plate on the pass is... 443 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:29,560 It was a tough choice. 444 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,680 But the dish I've chosen as best plate on the pass is... 445 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,280 ..the Vietnamese hot and sour soup. 446 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,440 Hoo! (APPLAUSE) 447 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,880 Jerry. (LAUGHS) 448 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,120 (LAUGHS) 449 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,360 Oh! 450 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:52,920 That's one happy chef. 451 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,080 Oh! If you move to Melbourne, come and get a job with us. 452 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,480 (LAUGHTER) Oh, come and get a job with us. Oh! 453 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,520 Jerry, I love this dish. 454 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,920 I love the power, the balance in it. 455 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:08,240 The barramundi, it was perfectly cooked, 456 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:12,560 and the broth... it was the perfect mix of layers. 457 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,520 It was everything I was looking for tonight and more. 458 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,880 How happy are we right now? Oh, so happy. Oh! 459 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,680 I thought I was gonna change jobs and go to a new state. 460 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,080 (LAUGHTER) 461 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:25,600 Tam, I loved your dish too. 462 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,000 I'd never tried sau fruit before. 463 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,560 It was just different. 464 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,560 The balance of the broth was there. 465 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,000 You're an excellent, excellent cook. 466 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,560 Thank you. 467 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:40,760 Well, Tam, as one Vietnamese chef to a Vietnamese cook, I've gotta say, 468 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,720 this whole week I've been absolutely blown away by your skills 469 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,760 and your love of Vietnamese cooking. 470 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,800 I just wanna come over to your house for dinner, 471 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,480 because you are one of the most amazing cooks I've ever come across. 472 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,440 Thank you. (APPLAUSE) 473 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:56,760 Restaurant Annam, head chef Jerry, 474 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,800 congratulations on winning the final of Vietnamese week 475 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,520 in the Chefs' Line kitchen. 476 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:03,440 Now there's one thing left to do - 477 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,800 let's try these soups before Mark eats it all! 478 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,120 (APPLAUSE) Come on in. 479 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,520 JERRY: Oh... Oh! I'm surprised Dan didn't try to steal you. (LAUGHS) 480 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:18,800 MAEVE O'MEARA: Next time on The Chefs' Line... 481 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,320 Hey, Jerry! Hey! 482 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,000 The competition may be over, 483 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,800 but the kitchen is still running hot as we visit restaurant Annam... 484 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:27,320 How'd I do? DANTON: Awesome. 485 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:28,800 Not too bad. 486 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,280 ..for authentic Vietnamese... 487 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,000 So you just gotta be careful when you pour this in. Ooh, fantastic. 488 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:34,640 ..with a unique twist. 489 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:36,480 Mmm. Mmm. 490 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,400 The one word to describe this is BOOM! 491 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:39,680 JERRY: Yeah! 492 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:41,680 (LAUGHS)