I have always wanted to start a supper club. It has come up in discussions with friends and acquaintances over the years, but for one reason or another it just never happened. Either people wanted me to do all the work when it is supposed to be a communal occasion, or lots of talk but when it came to crunch time, a bag of excuses. So I had given up for a while and left it to time. Sometimes when you let go of an idea, it comes back to you at a more opportune time with the right people.

Finally, my dream has been realised with like- minded friends who are genuine. All of us have lived abroad, varying national backgrounds and missing the food scene we are accustomed to. We are also tired of the hype and expense over some mediocre food knowing that we can do better in the comfort of our respective kitchens, and quite frankly, food is not a trend for us but a genuine passion. Many people use the term “foodie” so loosely these days, or there can be a ridiculous snobbery that sometimes it becomes a joke for those of us who truly care about food.

It’s easy to start a supper club if you make a real commitment to it. Besides, it is an alternate form of entertainment. The first thing to establish is how often you will meet. Will it be quarterly, that is, every three months, or monthly? Figure out what works best for all. Keep your group intimate, sometimes when it gets too large planning becomes more complex. You can set boundaries such as a budget, in that individuals should only spend x amount so it is fair to all. It should be held in rotating locations in terms of hosting so that the burden does not fall on one person every time. Everyone has strong points, some are better at cooking, others baking, others making drinks, so divide duties based on strengths. Cook around themes to make it more fun.

Our supper club dinner this time around was Vietnamese fare. One of our group posted on Facebook that she was having a serious craving for this cuisine. We could so relate. I often frequented Vietnamese restaurants in Paris. It is quite healthy, relying a lot on fresh produce, many of which we can find locally. Unfortunately no Vietnamese restaurant exists here, so we rose to the challenge and decided to do so ourselves. Take a peek at what we prepared. For an extra recipe, check out my friend Sarah’s blog www.nyamist.com to see the fresh vegetable and shrimp and fresh vegetable and five-spice tofu spring rolls which were part of our menu. The spring rolls were for the vegetarians in our group and those with a seafood allergies. Both sets of spring rolls were served with a spicy peanut sauce.

I asked Sarah to take photos so I could share with Thursday Life readers. As you can see, our dishes are quite simple to prepare, and you can do them too! Food, friendship and fun, what more can one ask for? I hope I have convinced you to start your own supper club with your circle of friends today.

JuicyChef’s Vietnamese Banh Mi with Caramelised Pork

This is my adaptation of the celebrated Vietnamese sandwich. I was first introduced to this sandwich in Paris, my second home where I like to go to the 13th Arrondisement which has a large Asian population. Vietnam was once a colony of France, so this dish represents an Asian French hybrid. Make sure all of your ingredients are super-fresh as this makes a big difference. This recipe makes 10 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

500g/1 lb pork stir fry

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp soy sauce, divided

2 tbsp fish sauce (Nam Pla), divided

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbsps vegetable oil for frying

1 tbsp Sriracha (an Asian chilli sauce)

1 tsp lemongrass powder

2 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsps water

1 bunch mint

1 bunch cilantro

Pickled carrots

Lime pickled onions

Mayonnaise

2 large French baguettes

Other optional garnishes you can consider:

Fresh chillies

Pork pate

Pickled daikon

Pickled radishes

Sliced cucumber

Method:

Season pork with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, ginger and freshly cracked black pepper to taste and leave overnight or at least four hours before cooking.

In a small saucepan, add water and sugar over high heat. Wait until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reduces by half and turns into a runny caramel. Remove from heat.

In a large frying pan, add vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic until translucent and then add pork.

When the pork has become brown, add remaining soy and fish sauces, lemongrass powder, and sriracha and cook for five more minutes.

Add caramel and continue cooking until pork becomes sticky and caramelised and remove from heat.

Split the baguettes in half with a bread knife.

Spread mayonnaise on one half, then top with a layer of pickled carrots, then a layer of pickled onions and a layer of mint and cilantro.

On the other half layer with pork.

Bring both halves together and cut into five sandwiches. Repeat with process with the second baguette.

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu

My friend Sarah prepared this dish which she adapted from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. Perfect for vegetarians and a Meatless Monday meal. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbsp dried lemongrass powder

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1/4 cup/60ml water

2 tsp Thai bird chillies, chopped (optional)

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp sugar

Pinch of salt

12 ozs/ 350g tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 3/4″ cubes

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small onions, cut into thin slices

1 tsp minced garlic

4 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

2/3cup basil leaves

Method:

Whisk together the lemongrass, soy sauce, water, chillies, chilli flakes, turmeric, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the tofu cubes and coat with the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 Tbsp of the oil to coat the pan. Add the onion and garlic.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and sauté for about three minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Transfer to a plate and wipe the frying pan clean.

Heat the frying pan again over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil to coat the pan. Add the tofu mixture and marinade, turning the tofu occasionally so that it cooks evenly, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sautéed onion, half of the peanuts and all of the basil. Cook, uncovered, another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with the remaining peanuts. Serve immediately with white rice.

Contact me juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter @juicycheffoodie

Start a supper club with your friends today!

Bon Appétit!