pho sho
I declare the pho to be a total success, with a few minor caveats:
The ratio of broth to stuff in the original recipe - noodles, shredded chicken, ginger paste, etc - is totally off. There isn't nearly enough broth for all the stuff. And I'm not sure what the authors were smoking when they told me to boil up an entire one pound package of rice vermicelli - I think we used about a tenth of it. Fortunately, I am not averse to making more broth, as the crock pot makes it very easy. The only issue is that I then end up with even more shredded chicken. If anyone has suggestions on how to use leftover poached chicken with a slightly gingery flavor, I welcome them! For the below recipe, I've tried to adjust the proportions of broth to stuff.
So, here's how I made the soup, modified slightly from Hot Sour Salty Sweet. (Which I really, really recommend if you like Southeast Asian food at all. It's the only cookbook I've found with good recipes for things like pho and Miang Kam, the Thai snack of peanuts, shallots, and other stuff wrapped in pepper leaves). The only thing it needs is this awesome chili salt I got addicted to in Vietnam - I have yet to find a way to buy or make it here.
Here's how I did it.
3.5 pounds whole bone in chicken breast
3 quarts water
2 teaspoons whole black pepper corns
2 medium onions, quartered
6 ounces fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 pound dry rice vermicelli
2 cups bean sprouts
2 shallots, sliced very thin (I used a mandoline)
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
2 limes, quartered
Sirracha chili sauce
Fish Sauce
Salt
Scorch ginger and onions in a dry skillet over high heat until blackened all over. (Or, you can hold them with tongs in the flames of a gas burner.) Put 3 ounces ginger, the onions, chicken, water, and peppercorns in the crock pot. Simmer on low overnight. (Alternatively, you can bring them to a boil on the stove top, reduce the heat, and simmer them about 45 minutes.)
In the morning, pull out the chicken breasts and set aside. Strain the solids out of the soup; discard solids. If you want really clear soup (this is traditional), line the colander with cheesecloth. Place the broth in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and reserve the meat; discard the skin and bones. You will probably have more meat than you can use for the pho.
About half an hour before you want to eat, take the chicken and broth out of the fridge. Skim the fat off the broth. If you want to be traditional, hang on to some of the fat - the Vietnamese dollop some of it onto the pho before serving.
Put the broth on the stove over high heat. Add the fish sauce and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, start a pot of water boiling.
Put the vermicelli into a bowl of warm water and soak for 15 minutes; drain.
Puree the remaining 3 ounces ginger in a food processor with a pinch of salt and a bit of water to make a paste.
Rinse the bean sprouts in a colander, and plunge the colander into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove and rinse the bean sprouts with cold water. Return the water in the pot to a boil.
Put the vermicelli in the boiling water for 1 minute; drain and rinse with cold water.
Taste broth and adjust seasonings.
Mound the ginger paste in the middle of a dinner plate. Surround it with the sliced shallots, scallions, blanched bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and limes.
Fill bowls with chicken, vermicelli, and broth; serve. At the table, add various items from the dinner plate of stuff, as well as fish sauce and sirracha chili sauce to taste.
The ratio of broth to stuff in the original recipe - noodles, shredded chicken, ginger paste, etc - is totally off. There isn't nearly enough broth for all the stuff. And I'm not sure what the authors were smoking when they told me to boil up an entire one pound package of rice vermicelli - I think we used about a tenth of it. Fortunately, I am not averse to making more broth, as the crock pot makes it very easy. The only issue is that I then end up with even more shredded chicken. If anyone has suggestions on how to use leftover poached chicken with a slightly gingery flavor, I welcome them! For the below recipe, I've tried to adjust the proportions of broth to stuff.
So, here's how I made the soup, modified slightly from Hot Sour Salty Sweet. (Which I really, really recommend if you like Southeast Asian food at all. It's the only cookbook I've found with good recipes for things like pho and Miang Kam, the Thai snack of peanuts, shallots, and other stuff wrapped in pepper leaves). The only thing it needs is this awesome chili salt I got addicted to in Vietnam - I have yet to find a way to buy or make it here.
Here's how I did it.
3.5 pounds whole bone in chicken breast
3 quarts water
2 teaspoons whole black pepper corns
2 medium onions, quartered
6 ounces fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 pound dry rice vermicelli
2 cups bean sprouts
2 shallots, sliced very thin (I used a mandoline)
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
2 limes, quartered
Sirracha chili sauce
Fish Sauce
Salt
Scorch ginger and onions in a dry skillet over high heat until blackened all over. (Or, you can hold them with tongs in the flames of a gas burner.) Put 3 ounces ginger, the onions, chicken, water, and peppercorns in the crock pot. Simmer on low overnight. (Alternatively, you can bring them to a boil on the stove top, reduce the heat, and simmer them about 45 minutes.)
In the morning, pull out the chicken breasts and set aside. Strain the solids out of the soup; discard solids. If you want really clear soup (this is traditional), line the colander with cheesecloth. Place the broth in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and reserve the meat; discard the skin and bones. You will probably have more meat than you can use for the pho.
About half an hour before you want to eat, take the chicken and broth out of the fridge. Skim the fat off the broth. If you want to be traditional, hang on to some of the fat - the Vietnamese dollop some of it onto the pho before serving.
Put the broth on the stove over high heat. Add the fish sauce and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, start a pot of water boiling.
Put the vermicelli into a bowl of warm water and soak for 15 minutes; drain.
Puree the remaining 3 ounces ginger in a food processor with a pinch of salt and a bit of water to make a paste.
Rinse the bean sprouts in a colander, and plunge the colander into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove and rinse the bean sprouts with cold water. Return the water in the pot to a boil.
Put the vermicelli in the boiling water for 1 minute; drain and rinse with cold water.
Taste broth and adjust seasonings.
Mound the ginger paste in the middle of a dinner plate. Surround it with the sliced shallots, scallions, blanched bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and limes.
Fill bowls with chicken, vermicelli, and broth; serve. At the table, add various items from the dinner plate of stuff, as well as fish sauce and sirracha chili sauce to taste.