Phở

When I was in Vietnam years ago, I would wake up to a bowl of phở every morning. Vendors would push their "mini restaurant" carts and bring phở right to my grandparents' doorstep. I guess you can say I was spoiled. And spoiled I am when I visit my parents every summer and winter holidays. Even though I would eat phở for breakfast every morning and on Sundays, I could never get enough of it.

Phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup, is comprised of beef or chicken broth with rice noodles, slices of meat, and topped with lime, basil, bean sprouts and various fresh herbs. Phở has become a huge food crave in many cities, especially after a night of drinking. It is often used as a hangover cure.

I have cravings for phở all the time, so I have learned to make a simple version of phở from my mom. Even though my version is incomparable to what my mom makes, I am proud to have discovered my own way of recreating a national dish that holds a special place in my heart. I also believe that this version will continue to evolve and change for the better. I'd like to think that my own children will have a similar fondness for my own recipe.

Phở requires a good two to three hours of cooking and preparation, and I find that the most enjoyable time to make it is when you have a free day and a big crowd to feed. Also, because there is a lot of prep work involved, it is fun to share the cooking with family and friends. I have fond memories of my sisters and I helping our mom make her phở. I recently got nostalgic for these times when my sister-in-law helped me make phở.

INGREDIENTS: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 3-4 hours (the longer the broth simmers, the better)

BROTH
1 whole chicken (organic free range chicken works best in terms of flavor)
2 packages of beef oxtails
2 packages of beef bones with marrow
2 large yellow onions, halved
2 knobs of fresh ginger root, halved
2 or more tablespoon of salt
2 or more tablespoon of sugar
1 package of beef eye round, very thinly sliced
1-2 packages of phở seasoning (which can be found in most Asian markets)
1-2 cubes of phở bouillon

Asian markets have all the essential ingredients to make phở, and if you are lucky, the owners might even walk you through all the necessary items to purchase. I find it is easier to buy a package of phở seasoning rather than buying each spice individually. The flavor in phở is exotic, made up of spices that are uncommon in Western cooking, yet so unique to Vietnamese cooking. These aromatic spices include star anise, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, licorices or fennel seeds, and nutmeg.


Hoisin sauce, sriracha, phở seasoning, onion, fresh ginger root

TOPPINGS
green scallions, washed and finely chopped
1 medium onion, halved and very thinly sliced
1 bunch of cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 bunch of thai basil
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
bean sprouts
hoisin sauce
sriracha (asian red chili sauce)
3 or more packages of rice noodles (fresh found in the freezer section, or dried found on the shelf)





Toppings of green scallions, cilantro, onion slices, and lime

DIRECTIONS:
If you are simply making chicken phở, do not include the oxtail, bone marrow, or beef eye round. Chicken phở takes about one hour to cook and half an hour to prep. My recipe comprises mostly of beef bones, as I feel they give the broth more depth and richness. The longer the bones simmer, the better the broth becomes.

THE BROTH:


Beef bones with marrow and oxtail


Beef bones simmering in the broth


Scooping out the impurities


Putting in the chicken pieces for the last hour


Scooping out the impurities to keep the broth clean and clear


The broth after hours of simmering

1) In a large soup pot, bring half the pot of water to a boil and quickly cook the beef bones and oxtail. Then pour out the "dirty" water and rinse the bones (this keeps the broth clear and decreases the gamey taste and smell of the meat). Put the beef bones back in the clean pot, fill the pot with water until it covers all the bones and bring to a boil. Let the bones simmer on medium high heat. Scoop out any impurities from the bones as they rise to the top of the broth. Once the impurities have disappeared, turn the heat to medium low and let the beef bones simmer for 2-3 hours, with the lid on. Occasionally add more water, making sure the beef bones are always submerged.

2) Put in the whole chicken (you can buy halved chickens as well), add more water to the pot so it covers the chicken, and boil on high heat. Again, scoop the impurities that rise to the top. Let the broth simmer on medium heat for an hour, then take out the chicken for later use (do not overcook the chicken because the meat will dry out). At this time, your broth has been simmering for a total of 3-4 hours. You can continue to let the broth simmer on low heat as you add the rest of the ingredients described in the following steps.

3) Toast the onions and ginger roots in the toaster oven for about 5-10 minutes to intensify their aroma. Then place them in the broth.


Onions and ginger in the toaster oven



4) In a pan, on very low heat, gently toast the phở seasoning from the packages for a couple of minutes to bring out the aromatics. Be careful not to burn the seeds because it would ruin the phở flavor. Pour the toasted seasoning into the cheese cloth bag, tie it up, and place in the broth to simmer.


Toasting the aromatic spices


Putting the toasted aromatics in the cloth bag



5) Start with one tablespoon of salt and sugar, stir, taste, then add more according to desire. Also include 1 cube of the phở bouillon for extra flavor (this is optional).

THE NOODLES AND MEAT TOPPINGS:
1) Fill two-thirds of a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Using a mesh strainer, fill it with a handful of fresh rice noodles and let it boil. For fresh noodles, let it cook for 30 seconds, drain and put in a bowl. For dried noodles, let it cook for 5 or more minutes, tasting it for doneness before putting into bowls.


Preparing the noodles

2) Once all the noodles are cooked, pour out the murky water and bring a fresh pot of water to a boil. Using the mesh strainer, place a handful of beef eye round, and let it cook in the water for half a minute or so. Place meat on top of the noodles that are in the bowls.


Blanching the thin slices of beef

3) Cut the chicken breasts and thighs into slices and place in the bowls as well.



PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1) Top each bowl with cilantro, scallions, and onion slices. Pour the hot phở broth in each bowl, making sure it covers the meat and toppings.

2) Encourage guests to add bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lime, and condiments of hoisin sauce and siracha for extra flavor.


Fresh herbs grown from my garden



Enjoy your wonderful bowl of phở!
You can freeze the leftover broth and make phở for breakfast as well.