Many years ago I lived in Vietnam.  When I think back about those days my memory is filled with the sights, sounds and smells of the hot, humid days and nights that characterize south east Asia.  We had a house keeper, Chi Hai, who not only looked after my brother and I, but also became a dearly loved member of our family.  Periodically she would take my brother and I shopping with her to one of the many out-door markets where farmers and food vendors gathered to sell their goods.  It was always colorful, pungent and loud, as everyone shouted out the names of what they had to offer and bartered back and forth to get the best price.  

I miss many of the things that I experienced from that time, not the least of which was the food.  As a teenager, I must admit I did not immediately take to what I then thought was strange food with foreign aromas.  I was not happy to see our cook purchase live chickens and crabs and bring them home to slaughter them on our kitchen floor and then serve them up for lunch and dinner.  I was repelled by the smell and taste of Nuoc Mam (fermented fish sauce) that is a key ingredient in almost all Vietnamese cooking.  Now as an adult, what I wouldn’t give to have another opportunity to sample Vietnamese cuisine in Vietnam!

Since then I have learned to prepare many Vietnamese dishes and gratefully have outgrown my childhood aversion to trying new foods.  Not only do I savor Vietnamese cuisine but I have even become very fond of Nuoc Mam.   I love the nuance this savory sauce adds to food and the fact that is naturally gluten-free unlike soy sauce.  For this reason, Vietnamese cuisine is much more gluten-free friendly and much easier to eat safely in a restaurant.

One of the great Vietnamese dishes we now find readily available in restaurants in the U.S. is Pho.  This is pronounced ‘fah’.  Vietnamese Pho is soup typically made with beef broth, thinly sliced pieces of beef, charred onions and ginger and other assorted vegetables and herbs.  This is a healthy dish that is naturally gluten-free, low-fat and a full complete meal.

We’d like to share three versions of Pho; Pork & Shrimp Pho, Chicken Noodle Pho and Vietnamese Beef Pho.  The best way to prepare Pho is to make the broth by cooking  beef or pork bones or in the case of Chicken Pho, the whole chicken in water and seasonings, basically making your own stock.  For those that have less time but still want to enjoy this great dish, you can skip this step and use previously prepared stock.

Pork & Shrimp Pho

Serves 4-6
Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin, sliced very thin
• 1/2 lb small shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1/2 lb small flat rice noodles, soaked in hot water until soft then drained
• 1teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, unpeeled
• One 2” piece of ginger, unpeeled
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 cups gf chicken stock
• 1Tablespoon fish sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Handful cilantro leaves
• 4 green onions, chopped
• Season to taste with salt

Directions:

Place onion and ginger on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until charred on all sides.  You can also do this directly on a burner of your stove.  When cool, remove outer skin of onion and ginger.  You can easily remove the ginger peeling by scraping it off with the edge of a spoon.  Slice onion and ginger.

Add oils to a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, ginger, garlic, sugar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add fish sauce and lime juice.  Add pork and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add shrimp and noodles and simmer for 3-4 minutes.  To deep individual bowls, add cilantro leaves, green onions.  Pour broth on top, equally dividing meat, shrimp and vegetables.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Noodle Pho

Serves 8
Ingredients:

For broth:

• 2 onions, unpeeled
• 4” piece of ginger, unpeeled
• 1 chicken, washed and trimmed
• 5 quarts water
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 ounce sugar
• 2 Tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed

For bowls:

• 1-1/2 lb small flat rice noodles, soaked in hot water then drained
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced very thin
• 4 green onions, chopped
• Handful of cilantro, leafy tops only
• 8-10 Thai basil or mint leaves
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
• 2 limes for garnish

Directions:

Place onion and ginger on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until charred on all sides.  You can also do this directly on a burner of your stove.  When cool, remove outer skin of onion and ginger.  You can easily remove the ginger peeling by scraping off with the edge of a spoon.  Slice onion and ginger.

Add chicken to a stock pot and fill with water until chicken is covered.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  With a spoon, scrape off scum that will form on top.  Add onions, ginger, salt, fish sauce, sugar, coriander seeds, cloves and cilantro and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pot and let cool.  Cut the legs, thighs and breast meat from the carcass and set aside.  Return the carcass to the pot and simmer for another 1-1/2 hours.  Strain solids from broth and return broth to pot.  Adjust flavor by adding additional fish sauce, salt and sugar if necessary.

Cut the cooked chicken from the bone into 1/4” pieces, discarding the skin.  Divide chicken, rice noodles, onions, green onions, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, spinach and chile to deep individual bowls and pour soup broth over all filling bowls.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Serves 4
Ingredients:

For broth:

• 1 onion
• 2” piece of ginger
• 2-1/2 lbs beef bones
• 3 quarts water
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 whole star anise
• 3 whole cloves
• 3/4 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/8 cup fish sauce
• 1 ounce sugar

For bowls:

• 1 lb small dried rice noodles, soaked in hot water then drained when soft
• 1/2 lb flank steak, sliced very thin 
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro, mint, basil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• Sriracha hot sauce

Directions:

Place onion and ginger on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until charred on all sides.  You can also do this directly on a burner of your stove.  When cool, remove outer skin of onion and ginger.  You can easily remove the ginger peeling by scraping off with the edge of a spoon.  Slice onion and ginger.

Fill a large stock pot with water and add bones; bring to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes then drain, rinse bones and rinse out pot.  Refill pot with bones and 3 quarts water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Remove any scum that forms on top of water.  Add onion, ginger, spices, sugar, fish sauce and salt.  Simmer for 3 hours.  Strain the broth and return to pot.  Adjust seasonings to taste; adding more salt, sugar or fish sauce as needed.  Heat broth again and keep at a simmer.

Place equal amounts of rice noodles, bean sprouts, fresh herbs and sliced steak in deep soup bowls and ladle hot broth on top to fill bowls.  Garnish with hot sauce and fresh lime juice.  Serve immediately.

- Chef Yvonne

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