Elizabeth Street Cafe – Review, recipe and giveaway

Elizabeth Street Cafe by Tom Moorman and Larry McGuire with Julia Turshen shares recipes from the French-inspired Vietnamese restaurant located in the cultural hub of Austin, Texas. This must visit cafe is recommended by everyone from locals to Bon Appetit to The New York Times.  

Elizabeth Street Cafe opened in December 2011 and boasts sunny dining rooms and a shady garden patio. They serve fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as takeout. This hotspot is known for great croissants & Stumptown coffee, bánh mì served on house baked baguettes, fresh spring rolls, Kronenberg on tap, steaming bowls of pho, spicy curries, house cocktail & fruity boozy punch, fun kids menu, and tropical macarons. I think a trip to Austin is in order and soon.

This book has the same cool vibe as the restaurant delivering Nutella and banana crêpes with candied hazelnuts, Alejandro’s rice sticks with steak, crab, and spicy shrimp paste, Everything-bagel croissants, and Vanilla macarons with vanilla bean buttercream along with roughly a dozen variations. Until I get my hands on Bread is Gold, I’m going to declare Elizabeth Street Cafe my all time favorite Phaidon title and one that I will be cooking from frequently. 

Special thanks to Phaidon for sharing the recipe for Spicy lamb dan dan noodles  with our members and for offering three copies of this stunner to our members in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Please remember Eat Your Book members receive 30% off Phaidon titles using the link provided

 

Spicy lamb Dan Dan Noodles with Thai chile

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Serves: 4

This is basically an Asian version of spaghetti Bolognese. Substitute fresh chow mein noodles (also called steamed egg or Hong Kong-style noodles) in place of homemade ones. A generous dose of mint at the end is a nod to lamb with mint jelly, a welcome bit of brightness and a counterpoint to the heat. This recipe is contingent on good chile oil as the base of the sauce-we recommend our ESC Fragrant Chile Oil (page 206)-or use a high-quality store-bought one.

INGREDIENTS

For The Noodle Dough:

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for your work surface
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt

For the Lamb Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons ESC Fragrant Chile Oil (page 206) or high-quality store-bought
• 12 oz (340 g) ground lamb
• 8 scallions (spring onions), ends trimmed, thinly sliced and white and green parts separated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled mustard greens
• ½ cup (120 g) tomato paste (pureée)
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek chile paste
• 1 tablespoon gochujang chile paste
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry
• 2 cups (475 ml) Vietnamese Meat Stock (page 216)
• Bottom white half of a stalk of fresh lemongrass, outer layers peeled off, bruised with the back of your knife or a mallet
• 1 sprig Thai basil leaves
• Leaves from 1 sprig mint
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 large handful cilantro (coriander) leaves, roughly chopped

To Serve:

• 2 large handfuls Thai basil leaves
• 2 large handfuls mint leaves
• 1 large handful cilantro (coriander) leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (100 g) fresh mung bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Kosher (coarse) salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh Thai bird chile (about 2 chiles)

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Noodle Dough:

Mound the flour on a clean work surface. Make a crater in the center and crack the eggs directly into it along with the sesame oil, salt, and 1 tablespoon water. Use a fork to whisk the egg mixture and slowly push the flour into the egg mixture. Once a thick dough forms, knead the dough by hand. Slowly add 2 more tablespoons water until you have a firm dough ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (clingfilm) and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight. If not using within 1 day, place the dough in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks (defrost at room temperature before continuing). Reserve the dough.

Make the Lamb Sauce:

Heat the chile oil in a large skillet over high heat until piping hot, then add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until all the pink is cooked out, about 5 minutes.

Add the whites of the scallions, the garlic, and the ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mustard greens and cook just until warmed through, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, sambal oelek, and gochujang and cook, stirring, until the mixture is deep red, about 2 minutes. Add the cooking wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the stock (broth) and lemongrass and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the Thai basil and mint. Let the mixture simmer, stirring, until thick like a Bolognese sauce, about 25 minutes. Discard the lemongrass, Thai basil, and mint. Stir in the fish sauce and cilantro (coriander) and keep the sauce warm over low heat.

To Serve:

Place the Thai basil, mint, cilantro, and bean sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Squeeze 1 lime wedge over the herbs and toss to combine. Reserve the remaining wedges for serving. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper and reserve.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (cover the other pieces with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out), flour the dough and use a pasta machine (or a rolling pin) to roll out the dough until it’s as thick as an envelope with a letter in it. (You want your noodles to be chewy so don’t make the dough too thin.) If using a pasta machine, stop at setting 4. Use a linguine cutter to slice the sheets into noodles (or roll up the sheets of pasta like a cigar and thinly slice crosswise with a knife). Toss the noodles with a bit of flour to keep them from sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the noodles in the water until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the noodles in a colander and reserve.

Warm 4 shallow bowls in a 300.F (150.C/Gas Mark 2) oven for 1 minute or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Divide the sauce among the bowls, then place the noodles over the sauce. Divide the herb salad over the noodles and sprinkle with scallion greens and sliced chiles. Serve immediately with the remaining lime wedges on the side.

Note:

If you don’t have Vietnamese Meat Stock (page 216) high-quality store-bought stock and add 1 teaspoon each of kosher (coarse) salt and sugar, 1 whole clove, 1 (1-inch/2.5 cm) cinnamon stick, ¼ star anise, 1 (1-inch/2.5 cm) piece roughly chopped fresh ginger, 1 (3-inch/7.5 cm) square of dried kombu, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Simmer the stock for about 25 minutes, then strainthrough a fine-mesh sieve (discard the solids) before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Adapted from ELIZABETH STREET CAFÉ by Tom Moorman and Larry McGuire with Julia Turshen (Phaidon, $39.95 US/$54.95 CAN, October 2017)

 

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the UK, US, Canada and Australia. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on December 11th, 2017.


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108 Comments

  • Kristjudy  on  November 4, 2017

    Oh the breakfast pho with poached egg sounds so good!

  • lgroom  on  November 4, 2017

    Glass noodle and seared flank steak salad.

  • heyjude  on  November 4, 2017

    Pork Belly Steamed Buns

  • Signe  on  November 4, 2017

    I would like to try making dan dan noodles

  • jezpurr  on  November 4, 2017

    Pistachio éclairs with matcha ganache!!!^_^

  • love2chow  on  November 4, 2017

    Bánh cuốn with twice-cooked pork and herb salad

  • ebs  on  November 4, 2017

    Classic French Baguette

  • hillsboroks  on  November 4, 2017

    The croissant beignets with raspberry-lychee jam sound intriguing.

  • MattFr  on  November 5, 2017

    The breakfast pho sounds great

  • contest718  on  November 5, 2017

    Fried egg, pork belly and avocado bánh mì

  • Livia  on  November 5, 2017

    It has got to be Breakfast pho with poached eggs

  • AGENT99  on  November 5, 2017

    Brioche French toast with blueberry compote and brown butter sauce

  • nadiam1000  on  November 5, 2017

    Singapore noodles with Gulf shrimp and roasted pork

  • BethanyMeira  on  November 5, 2017

    Green jungle curry noodles!

  • lpatterson412  on  November 5, 2017

    Brioche French toast with blueberry compote and brown butter sauce!!!!

  • ravensfan  on  November 5, 2017

    Fried egg, pork belly and avocado bánh mì

  • annmanning  on  November 5, 2017

    I'd go with the Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs!

  • robynsanyal  on  November 5, 2017

    Breakfast pho!

  • Apsaragirl  on  November 5, 2017

    Chicken & rice breakfast soup

  • aneelee  on  November 6, 2017

    would most likely make the vietnamese vegetarian stock first! then so many more things…

  • sgump  on  November 6, 2017

    If someone else would do the baking, I'd be up for the croissant beignets with raspberry-lychee jam (I'll happily make the jam: sounds delicious)!

  • kmn4  on  November 6, 2017

    Vietnamese coffee pots de crème

  • sarahawker  on  November 6, 2017

    Spicy tofu and avocado steamed buns

  • lynneskip  on  November 6, 2017

    All the Breakfasts! Oh, ok, let's say Pho

  • skipeterson  on  November 6, 2017

    Short rib and spicy house kimchee bánh mì

  • Lizwizz  on  November 6, 2017

    The pork belly steamed buns sound great to me!

  • katehenderson  on  November 6, 2017

    Classic Tam Deli Wonton Soup!

  • motherofpearl81  on  November 6, 2017

    Egg white, mushroom and Fresno chile bánh mì

  • madelainelc  on  November 6, 2017

    Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs! The recipe is online too (love the linking feature on this site), so I will for sure be making it this week 🌶

  • RSW  on  November 7, 2017

    Scrambled egg, cilantro, and jalapeño bánh mì

  • bibliophile02  on  November 7, 2017

    Blueberry croissant bread pudding with blueberry sauce

  • kelliwinter  on  November 7, 2017

    Fried egg, pork belly and avocado bánh mì

  • tcjanes  on  November 7, 2017

    Breakfast pho with poached eggs.

  • matag  on  November 8, 2017

    Singapore noodles with Gulf shrimp and roasted pork

  • FrenchCreekBaker  on  November 8, 2017

    singapore noodles with Gulf shrimp and roasted pork sounds amazing!

    And for dessert I would try any of their macaroons.

  • IngridO  on  November 8, 2017

    Green jungle curry noodles sounds good

  • rchesser  on  November 8, 2017

    Pineapple tarte Tatin

  • ljsimmons  on  November 8, 2017

    Singapore noodles with Gulf shrimp and roasted pork

  • lapsapchung  on  November 9, 2017

    Kaffir lime-fried chicken steamed buns

  • linby  on  November 9, 2017

    I'd like to try Potato latkes

  • tinaellen  on  November 10, 2017

    The first recipe I'd try is the short rib and spicy house kimchee bahn mi

  • verorenee  on  November 11, 2017

    Chicken and rice breakfast soup

  • t.t  on  November 12, 2017

    Breakfast pho with poached eggs

  • sugo  on  November 12, 2017

    Pineapple tarte Tatin for me

  • mpdeb98  on  November 12, 2017

    Ginger sausage rolls

  • ZhoraAutumn  on  November 12, 2017

    Cilantro mojito (page 200)

  • skichick  on  November 12, 2017

    brioche french toast with blueberry

  • lindaeatsherbooks  on  November 13, 2017

    I would like to try making Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs.

  • Titch  on  November 13, 2017

    I would try & make the Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs first it sounds & looks delicious

  • JenJoLa  on  November 13, 2017

    Brioche French toast with blueberry compote and brown butter sauce

  • mjes  on  November 13, 2017

    Watermelon and Thai basil shrub

  • hirsheys  on  November 13, 2017

    Glass noodle and seared flank steak salad

  • Zoe  on  November 13, 2017

    I'd be making breakfast pho with poached eggs – sounds like the best breakfast ever

  • akrupnick  on  November 13, 2017

    pork belly avo banh mi

  • VeryVigario  on  November 13, 2017

    Spicy tofu and avocado steamed buns

  • SuzyP  on  November 14, 2017

    pork belly steamed buns

  • thecharlah  on  November 14, 2017

    Breakfast pho

  • PennyG  on  November 15, 2017

    Sounds interesting … Chicken and rice breakfast soup!

  • Siegal  on  November 15, 2017

    I would love you try the breakfast pho

  • lauriesk  on  November 15, 2017

    The first recipe I would try is the Spicy vegetarian pho.

  • CC.cooks  on  November 15, 2017

    Definitely the Nutella and Banana Crepes with candied Hazelnuts – yum

  • FireRunner2379  on  November 16, 2017

    The recipe for Brioche French toast with blueberry compote and brown butter sauce sounds delicious!

  • annieski  on  November 16, 2017

    Spicy Breakfast Fried Rice

  • eveaway  on  November 16, 2017

    Spicy tofu and avocado steamed buns!

  • milgwimper  on  November 17, 2017

    Short rib and spicy house kimchee bánh mì

  • mishmash1  on  November 17, 2017

    Just one…..?
    All the noodles….if it's noodles I'm happy

  • Clove  on  November 17, 2017

    Scrambled egg, cilantro and jalapeno banh mi. Banh mi for breakfast – heaven!

  • dlbawiles  on  November 17, 2017

    Spicy Lamb Dan Dan noodles show-cased above- what's not to love? Spicy, lamb AND noodles!

  • teaparty  on  November 17, 2017

    I want to try the Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs

  • DarcyVaughn  on  November 17, 2017

    Short rib and spicy house kimchee bánh mì

  • AnnaZed  on  November 18, 2017

    Fried egg, pork belly and avocado bánh mì

  • chimpbob  on  November 18, 2017

    Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs

  • Foodycat  on  November 18, 2017

    Bún bò Hue – I love it and would have to see if it's better than Uyen Luu's recipe

  • kaitk  on  November 18, 2017

    I'd try the scrambled egg, cilantro, and jalapeño bánh mì.

  • RickPearson54  on  November 18, 2017

    breakfast pho

  • zarprey  on  November 18, 2017

    Bún bò Hue. I love this soup but have never tried to make it. Yum.

  • circ2000  on  November 18, 2017

    Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs

  • tararr  on  November 18, 2017

    Saigon cinnamon and Madras curry macarons

  • kennethjohngilmour  on  November 18, 2017

    love jalapeno, so the scrambled egg, cilantro, and jalapeño bánh mì found on page 30 sounds good

  • kerrin1976  on  November 18, 2017

    Bánh mì rolls

  • Shana.  on  November 18, 2017

    Char-grilled flank steak spring rolls

  • Karla123  on  November 19, 2017

    I could easily go for a warm and flavorful bowl of Spicy vegetarian pho.

  • fbrunetti  on  November 19, 2017

    Whole steamed fish with black vinegar, ginger, and lime

  • Katiefayhutson  on  November 19, 2017

    Pistachio eclair with matcha ganache

  • JJWong  on  November 20, 2017

    I LOVE Vietnamese food! So many recipes appeal to me. I think I'd try the char-grilled flank steak spring rolls.

  • Scotsman61  on  November 20, 2017

    Pork Belly Steamed Buns

  • kitchenclimbers  on  November 21, 2017

    pork belly steamed buns

  • lhudson  on  November 22, 2017

    Ginger sausage rolls

  • LaurenE  on  November 23, 2017

    dan dan noodles

  • lhodder2016  on  November 24, 2017

    I would try the cold beef tendon with fish sauce-pickled peppers. Although fish sauce is made in some south eastern regions in china, it is mostly known in nearby regions; Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Korea… The classic Chinese dish combined with a sauce reminiscent of one I practically used to gulp down in cupfuls instead of spoonfuls during my time in Saugon, the ubiquitous nouc cham, is inspiring and testing of my hesitancy towards some of the 'nastier' bits.

  • WagnerJB  on  November 24, 2017

    Singapore noodles with gulf shrimp and roasted pork

  • SheenaSharp  on  November 25, 2017

    Kaffir lime-fried chicken steamed buns.
    I have no idea where to even get the ingredients!

  • DesiKim  on  November 25, 2017

    OMG! Such decadent sounding dishes!

    I think the first things I will try are : Twice-cooked pork and wood ear mushroom omelet and Kaffir lime-fried chicken steamed buns

  • Sfgordon  on  November 29, 2017

    I have had the pleasure of going to the cafe when I was living in austin, and I would love to try to make the lamb dan dan noodles or the thai basil and passionfruit macarons.

  • auntietina  on  December 1, 2017

    Breakfast pho with poached eggs

  • Geordia  on  December 1, 2017

    Breakfast pho with poached eggs for sure! That sounds delicious

  • cheftina888  on  December 2, 2017

    there's so much that I'd love to try. I would love to try the spicy lamb dan dan noodles and any bi mah sandwich

  • Stella28368  on  December 3, 2017

    fresh-crab-and-glass-noodle. Love crab.

  • rglo820  on  December 5, 2017

    So many amazing-sounding things – but I think I'd try the short rib and spicy house kimchee bánh mì first!

  • Curlyfatkins  on  December 6, 2017

    Scrambled egg, cilantro, and jalapeño bánh mì sounds interesting

  • mcrimmins  on  December 6, 2017

    Chicken and Rice Breakfast Soup.

  • cuddlebunny  on  December 7, 2017

    Breakfast pho sounds yummy

  • TRACY007  on  December 7, 2017

    Twice-cooked pork and wood ear mushroom omelet sounds delicious. Never think about putting meat, of any kind, in a omelette apart from ham.

  • zesty77777  on  December 7, 2017

    I'd try Chicken & rice breakfast soup.

  • jmay42066  on  December 7, 2017

    Glass noodle and seared flank steak salad

  • orchidlady01  on  December 7, 2017

    Sticky rice with ginger sausage, herb salad, and poached eggs and Breakfast pho with poached eggs

  • Julia  on  December 8, 2017

    Pork belly steamed buns.

  • Dannausc  on  December 10, 2017

    Spicy breakfast fried rice and fried eggs

Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!