This is the soup that symbolizes Vietnam. You will find Pho noodle houses not only all over Vietnam but also any major North American city with a large Vietnamese community.
Good Pho should have a clear broth with a bold beefy flavor, a hint of star anise, good quality meat, noodles cooked just right and a plate of fresh herbs, chillies, lime, bean sprouts and sauces to accompany it. Pho is also served with other cuts of beef. Pho is a complete meal that you build your own way by adding only the extras that you like.
Broth Ingredients
400gm beef marrow bones or similar
3 inch piece of ginger
1 medium onion
5 star anise
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tbsp salt or to taste
A dash of black pepper or to taste
1 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
8 to 10 cups water
Note: You can replace the beef with chicken
1/ Wash the beef bones. Place bones in stock pot and cover with water, bring to a boil on high heat for 5 minutes.
2/ Drain off the water, rinse the bones and scrub the stockpot to remove any residue. This process cleans the bones and reduces excess solids that will cloud the broth.
3/ Return the bones to the stockpot and add the 8 cups of water.
4/ Lightly charred the ginger and onion over a grill or directly in the embers of the fire. It add appealing smokiness to the broth. Smashed the ginger with a pestle. Peel the onion and cut into half.
6/ Lightly dry roast the star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds in the skillet for 3 to 4 minutes.
7/ Add the ginger, onion and roasted spices to the stock pot ( step 3 ) and bring to boil and reduce to a simmer. Skim off any excess solids or far. Continue to simmer for at 1 hours. Add more water when necessary.
8/ Sieve the broth and discard the bones.
9/ Add rock sugar, fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Keep aside.
Garnishing Ingredients
1 pkt dried rice stick noodles ( soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained)
200gm beef sirloin, slightly frozen, then sliced paper thin across the grain
1/2 onion, sliced paper thin
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
100gm bean sprouts
2 sprigs Thai basil
3 bird eye or 2 red chillies
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Freshly ground black pepper
Hoisin sauce and Chilli sauce for dipping
1/ Prepare separate pot with boiling water to cook noodles. Immerse the noodles and cook for few minutes. Drain off the water.
2/ Marinate the beef with soya sauce and 1/2 tsp of corn flour.
3/ Filled each bowl with rice noodles and beef slices. Boil the broth and ladle the broth to each bowl of noodle. The hot broth will cook the raw beef slices.
Note: If you're using chicken meat, cook the chicken slices in the broth for few minutes or until cook.
4/ Garnish the noodle with generous amount of onion, bean sprout, cilantro, chillies and basil.
5/ Add a dash of pepper, squeeze the lime into the hot noodle and serve immediately.
Dessert of the day.....
Ingredients
150gm cream cheese
150gm plain yogurt
150gm non daily whip cream
50 gm castor sugar
Canned pineapple
Dragon fruit
Preserved cherries
1/ Combine cream cheese, yogurt, whip cream and sugar in a electric mixer and whip until thick and creamy. Put in a container with lid and freeze it for 4 to 5 hours.
2/ Cut the fruits into bite size.
3/ Lay the dessert cup with a layer of fruit and top with cream cheese mixture.
4/ Garnish second layer with more fruits and top with another layer of cream cheese.
Vietnamese Dragon fruit orchard
5/ Garnish the top layer with cut fruits and serve immediately
6/ Delightful and yeeeeehaaaa.....blink your eyes 3 times..... you'll see UFO or shooting stars.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
