Mark,
We just came back from eating Pho in Lancaster this evening.
I think I need a support group.
Mike,
Either that,or a recipe that everyone else can follow and see just what they are missing.
Like this:
Pho
Pronounced far, its difficult to decipher if this is a noodly soup, or a soupy noodle dish. Whatever, pho is one of the great dishes of the world, an intoxicating mixture of rich broth, silky noodles, fragrant coriander and myriad other seasonings that add incredibly contrasting tastes and textures literally with every mouthful.
A simple chicken broth subtly infused with star anise in which beef, usually, or chicken is gently poached, the result is a luxurious yet simple dish that perfectly encapsulates everything that this e-book is about. Quick, easy, cheap and with more flavour than you could ever want in a meal, this is the one dish you truly must make.
You will need:
a litre or so of good home-made chicken stock
a piece of stewing steak, around 250g/½ lb
2 star anise
a stick of cinnamon
a couple of cardamom pods, lightly crushed
a stalk of lemongrass, trimmed and bashed
half a medium root of ginger, cut into several thick slices
a couple of shallots, sliced in half
large pinch sea salt
2 small red chillies, seeds removed and sliced finely
a small handful of coriander leaves
a small handful of fresh mint leaves
a small handful of bean sprouts
a small handful of fresh rice noodles, blanched for 10 seconds, refreshed and drained
To accompany:
This is where pho becomes the extraordinary dish that it is. It may seem like you will need to do a lot of fiddling about, but trust me, once whiff, let alone taste, of the finished result, and you will never question the effort again.
a small handful of chopped peanuts, roasted gently until golden
a small handful of crispy fried shallots peel, slice thinly, then gently shallow fry in some oil until golden brown and crispy
a small handful of crispy fried garlic - as above
a plump, juicy lime, every last ml of liquid squeezed from it
a splash or more of sweet chilli sauce
a splash or more of a good quality hoisin sauce
a splash of nuoc man
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Place the sliced shallots and ginger, cut side down, in the frying pan. Grill until golden brown.
Seal the stewing steak on both sides in the hot frying pan.
Pour the stock into a pot and add the sealed steak. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming any froth that appears. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the ginger, shallots, star anise, crushed lemongrass, cardamom, cinnamon stick and sea salt. Simmer very gently. Remove the beef after 1½ hours and continue to simmer for another ½ hour. Strain through a fine sieve. Add the finely sliced chillies, and keep hot on a low heat.
Slice the poached beef into pieces you can pick up and eat with chopsticks.
To serve arrange some noodles in the bottom of one of your lovely big noodle bowls. Arrange the sliced beef over the noodles. Scatter over some coriander and mint leaves, along with a few bean sprouts.
Ladle over some of the boiling stock.
Now eat. The idea is to have the accompaniments at hand, so that you season every mouthful with a different one, and get the heady and delicious combination of, say, soup, noodles, coriander, lime and peanuts in one mouthful, then soup, noodles, beef, mint, hoisin and fried shallots in another. Im sure you get the idea.