Photograph of the finished Mực né

Vietnam · Mực né nhúng nước lèo cay

Mực né

40 min Hands-on time
EasyDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Squid tubes Squid tubes 1.2 kg
  • Photograph of Sour tamarind Sour tamarind 80 g
  • Photograph of Sate chilli and lemongrass paste Sate chilli and lemongrass paste 100 g
  • Photograph of Lemongrass Lemongrass 100 g
  • Photograph of Tomato Tomato 8
  • Photograph of Fish sauce Fish sauce 72 ml
  • Photograph of Thin dried rice noodles Thin dried rice noodles 400 g
  • Photograph of Herbs Herbs 160 g
  • Photograph of Shallots Shallots 1.6
  • Photograph of Chilli Chilli 8

Method

  1. 1 Clean the squid, make dragon scale incisions on the inside, and cut into 2 cm thick rings.
  2. 2 Sauté the chili paste with lemongrass, shallots, and tomatoes for 6 minutes until the oil turns red.
  3. 3 Pour in 800 ml of water along with the tamarind juice, then season with fish sauce to make the broth sour and spicy.
  4. 4 Dip the squid in the hot oil for exactly 40 seconds and then remove it immediately — "né" squid means dipping it just above the flame; too much heat and it will become tough like rubber.
  5. 5 Serve with rice noodles and herbs, dipping small portions at a time instead of pouring the entire plate into the pot.

With an appliance

  • Microwave 38 min

    Replace step 3: heat 800 ml of water, tamarind juice, and the sautéed chili paste in a deep bowl at 900 W for 7 minutes until boiling, then transfer to a serving pot; step 4 still involves dipping the squid in each batch for exactly 40 seconds on the stove.

Start cooking