Vietnamese Cooking & Sustainable Farming | Chef Mai Pham & Mason Becker

Chef Mai Pham, owner of Star Ginger in Sacramento, shares how peanuts—known in Vietnam as dau phong—are an essential ingredient woven into countless dishes, from sauces and toppings to braises and even desserts.

In this episode, she prepares Claypot Braised Lemongrass Chicken with Peanuts (Gà Kho Sả Đậu Phộng), a fragrant and comforting dish that blends tender chicken with the nutty richness of peanuts. Simmered slowly in a claypot, it delivers the perfect balance of savory, salty, sweet, and smoky flavors.

We’re also joined by Mason Becker, a peanut farmer from Texas, who highlights the role of peanuts in sustainable agriculture and shares insights from the farm to the table.

Recipe link: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/claypot-chicken-with-peanuts

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
[Music] Welcome to Peanuts in the Plant-Forward Kitchen. I'm Ashton Pelum. Today we're digging
into the roots of peanuts, where they come from, how they're grown, and why they're good for
the planet. I'm joined today by the incredible Chef Mai Pham, internationally celebrated chef
whose dishes are inspired by the bold flavors of Southeast Asia. And we're also lucky to have Mason
Becker, a peanut farmer from Texas who's helping lead the change in sustainable agriculture.

(00:27):
So Mason, we'll start with you. So many people want to know more
about where their food actually comes from. Can you share what makes growing
peanuts so unique and how they stand out as a sustainable crop? You know,
when I think sustainability, it it brings back something my dad always told me;
is being a steward of the land and a steward of the soil. And peanuts tie in perfectly with that.

(00:48):
If I can show you a peanut that I got to bring all the way from my home in Texas,
you can see obviously the beautiful peanuts that we all know and love, right?
But what a lot of people don't realize is peanuts are actually a legume. So
they grow underground and they have the ability to put nitrogen back in the soil.
So not only do we get a commodity that we can all eat and enjoy, but we can also take this plant,

(01:08):
all the leaf material and the roots that store up that nitrogen,
and we can either put it back into the soil for the next year's crop,
or we can bail it up and use it as a hay to feed cattle and other ruminants.
Wow, that's eye opening. I already love peanuts,
but knowing they're good for the environment makes them even better.
Now, Chef Mai, your cooking draws on flavors from all over the world. How have peanuts

(01:29):
shown up in your culinary journey? And what delicious dish are you sharing with us today?
So, today we're going to do a dish called Ga Kho Xa Dao Phong. Claypot-Braised Chicken with
Peanuts. One thing to know about Vietnamese cooking, clay pot is very important and it's
because that's the cooking vessel of choice. It's inexpensive, it's very easy, and it also

(01:52):
imparts flavor to the food. So, we're going to start by making the caramel sauce first,
right? So, all it calls for... I got a pan that hopefully is hot enough.
And this is just sugar. Don't panic. It's It's doing its thing, right?
It's getting really beautiful caramel, like almost butterscotch right now.
And you notice I'm lifting it off from the fire cuz I don't want it to continue

(02:12):
to burn out of control. And I'm going to put a little bit of hot water in there.
And over here it'll splatter. So, we just want to be very careful with it.
And that's all you need to do.
Oh, wow.
So, the next thing to do is more straightforward.
It's cooking off the chicken. This is the oil. You're going to put some oil in. So,

(02:34):
I've got some nice shallots.
Now, it's nice and hot, right? And you notice I kind of want to give
it a little bit of a head start. If you put everything in here,
the garlic usually burns too quickly. And I want to extract some of the flavors from
the shallot. I'm going to add the chicken. And normally what you do is you put a little fish
sauce in. You could just put a little bit in. Mhm. And that's sort of the key at this point.

(03:01):
At this point, we're going to put in the caramel sauce. So what we're going to do now
is add a little bit coconut water or you can use water or you can use chicken stock. Right. Okay.
At this point, we already got the nice seared smell. Put the
lemongrass in right now. Right. Okay. Lower the temperature here.
We're going to let this simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes.

(03:21):
So, Mason, as a third generation farmer, what keeps you passionate about the work
that you do? And what do you hope that the people watching understand about farming?
Family and farming and food is what I love.
It's easy to be passionate about something you love and be aware
of what you're eating and know that there's farmers producing that crop
and producing specifically peanuts that are proud of what we're growing

(03:43):
and we want to provide something that's nutritious, sustainable, and healthy.
Okay. So, Chef Mai, this has been on the stove here for about 25 or so minutes.
Tell me what the next steps are now. Your favorite part, right? That's what we're talking about.
We're going to put peanuts in. Right. And like I said,
I don't like to put in too early cuz it becomes the same color.
It's just a matter of preference and it's sort of a chef thing. This is now done. So,

(04:07):
I'm going to transfer it now to a clay pot so that we can continue to simmer it if we like.
It's a great vessel to also to heat up food, right? Because the clay pot stays
hot for a lot longer. You want to garnish? Yes, please. Sure. A little... see this is a very
special cilantro. They're flowering and they're much more intense. You want to

(04:30):
put chilies in there? I'm going to trust you with that. I'm going to stick to what I do.
See, a little lime, not too much. Brightens everything. Okay. So,
how about tasting some food? I've been waiting for you to ask me. Right. Okay.
Here you go. And I gave you a little chilies cuz you like it spicy. That looks great.
Mm oh my goodness. That is delicious. Wow. You probably need some some rice,

(04:51):
right? Wow. Mason my thank you both.
We learned that peanuts inspire many cuisines,
are a zero-waste crop and sustainably grown and farmed right here in America.
Thanks for watching Peanuts in the Plant-forward Kitchen. I'm Ashton
Pelum. See you next time. And oh Mason, let's be honest. Can I grow peanuts at home? Ashton,
I'm glad you asked, man, because I always encourage people to try to grow peanuts

(05:14):
themselves. This is important. As long as it's not a roasted peanut, it'll grow.
So, take an un-roasted green peanut, put it in good soil, and add some water and
keep it moist. And in four to five months, you're going to have your own peanut crop.
Awesome. You heard it from the man yourself. [Music]