Pho Bo - Pho, supa vietnameza de vita cu fidea de orez

A couple of months ago, i was talking with Lola about asian recipes which we like a lot and wanted to make at home, since we always enjoy them when we eat out. We've been to Chinatown so many times, but we have tried only 3 or 4 places, and only one of them is our favorite. We never went twice to the others, because the first one was far better then any new one we wanted to try. We go there usually on Sunday, for lunch, on the way home from church. We are hungry and always want to order so many things. And besides the hot & sour soup which we get with the lunch order, which we love, we always order a second soup - the seafood egg drop one, just because we cannot go there without having it.

When i talked to Lola about these soups, i ventured to say that i want to make the seafood egg drop at home (which i did, and it was a fiasco, but i won't give up, i'll try it again soon) and also, pho, the Vietnamese soup. Lola said i must feel brave, but honestly, i had no clue how hard is actually to get it right.

So, I started to look for recipes online and thru my books at home, and i found one that sounded perfect. The recipe was in my book The Best of Gourmet, but you could also find it online here.

The recipe says that the soup is a favorite Vietnamese convenience food, usually purchased at street stands, but that the quality of the broth can make or break a cook's reputation. That sounded scary, but i wasn't completely discouraged. I read the recipe and thought i can pull it off. Moreover, i changed a little bit the recipe, because i had already some beef stock in my freezer, which i used instead of making a new one as recommended in the recipe. ( I made the beef stock with some neck bones and 2 shanks, about 3 lbs together, 1 whole onion, 2 celery ribs- cut in half, 2 carrots - cut in half, one parnsnip - cut in half. I know, i know, that sounds so not Vietnamese!!!!).

And then, the toppings are a little bit different from the ones recommended in the book or the ones served in a restaurant, because i had only some enoki mushrooms, radishes and cilantro in my fridge.

What i can tell you is that it came out wonderful, so tasty and just like the one we had at Pho 99, three blocks away from our house, although i know it doesn't respect the recipe 100%. How modest i sound.... I think it's the perfect remedy when you've got a cold, so this year we are not scared of the flu season anymore. We are waiting for it with a bowl of hot Pho.

Here it is my version, very similar to the one from Gourmet:

Pho Bo

2 large onions, sliced
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, left unpeeled

3 qt beef stock
2 teaspoons star anise pieces
half a cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

½ lb beef shabu-shabu or 1 (1/2-lb) piece boneless beef sirloin steak or tenderloin
1 lb dried thin or medium rice noodles
1/2 cup Asian fish sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

- Broil onions and ginger on foil-lined rack of a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 20 to 25 minutes. (Or, if you have a gas stove, roast onions and ginger directly on the rack of a gas burner over high heat, turning with tongs, until blistered and blackened, 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool. When the ginger is cool enough to handle, rinse and rub under cold running water to remove the blackened skin. i did not rinse the onions, we liked it a little bit charred.

-Wrap star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle to make a spice bag, then add to the pot along with 3 quarts stock, onions, and ginger. Simmer over medium low heat uncovered for about 30 minutes. Remove the spice bag and add the fish sauce and let it boil just a minute before serving.

- I found thin slices of beef shabu-shabu (paper-thin slices of meat) at Mitsuwa supermarket, so, I skipped this step. But you can use sliced sirloin steak or tenderloin. While the broth simmers, freeze the meat until firm but not frozen solid, about 30 minutes, then slice across the grain with a sharp thin knife into less than paper thin slices.

- Soak rice noodles in cold water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes, then drain. Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water, uncovered, stirring, one minute, then drain.

- Divide noodles among your soup bowls. Top noodles with uncooked sliced steak and ladle boiling-hot broth over steak and noodles. The hot broth will cook the meat.

- Serve the soup with fresh toppings like: fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, mint, basil (preferably Thai) leaves, thinly sliced scallions, lime wedges, thinly sliced fresh Thai or serrano chiles.

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Supa vietnameza de vita cu fidea de orez

In urma cu cateva luni, vorbeam cu Lola despre retete asiatice care ne plac tare mult si pe care as vrea sa le incercam acasa.

Cand am fost in Chinatown, am incercat 3-4 locuri, dar numai unul este favoritul nostru. De fapt, la celelalte nu am fost decat o data si ne-am lamurit, primul ramane cel mai bun, incomparabil cu celelalte. Noi mergem de obicei la chinezi Duminica, dupa biserica, in drum spre casa. De fiecare data suntem foarte infometati si vrem fiecare cel putin un fel de mancare. Iar pe langa supa hot & sour (iute si acrisoara) pe care ne-o servesc cu pranzul, si care ne place tare mult, intotdeauna cerem o a doua supa - pe cea de fructe de mare cu zdrente de ou - pentru ca nu putem merge acolo si sa nu o comandam.

Cand am vorbit cu Lola despre supele asta, m-am aventurat sa zic ca vreau sa fac supa de fructe de mare (pe care am facut-o, a fost un fiasco, dar nu ma las batuta, o s-o incerc din nou), si de asemenea, Pho, supa vietnameza. Lola a zis ca trebuie sa fiu tare viteaza, dar cinstit, nu aveam la ora aia nici cea mai mica idee cat de greu e sa iti iasa bine.

Asa ca ca am inceput sa ma uit dupa retete pe internet si prin cartile mele de acasa, si am gasit una care mi s-a parut perfecta. Reteta e din cartea The Best of Gourmet, dar poate fi gasita si online aici.

Reteta spune ca Pho este o supa vietnameza, de obicei vanduta la standuri pe strada, dar calitatea zeamei poate sa ridice sau sa distruga reputatia unui bucatar. Si desi asta suna un pic stresant, nu m-am lasat descurajata. Am citit reteta si m-am gandit ca nu poate fi asa de greu. Ba chiar mai mult, m-am apucat sa schimb putin reteta, pentru ca aveam deja zeama de spa de vita in congelator, pe care am folosit-o in loc sa fac una noua dupa reteta gasita. (am facut supa de vita obisnuita, din peste un kg de oase de vita, de la gat si genunchi, cu o ceapa intreaga, 2 tije de telina, 2 morcovi si un pastarnac). Suna tare vietnamez, nu-i asa?

Apoi, ingredientele proaspete cu care am servit supa sunt diferite fata de ce recomanda reteta sau servesc in restaurante, pentru ca nu aveam decat ciuperci enoki, ridichi si coriandru in frigider.

Insa supa a iesit minunat, atat de gustoasa si aromata, exact ca cea pe care am mancat-o la Pho 99, un restaurant vietnamez la trei strazi de casa noastra, desi reteta me nu respecta originalul 100%. Modesta foc, manc-o mama, nu-i asa? Supa asta cred ca e remediul perfect cand esti racit, asa ca anul asta nu mai suntem speriati de sezonul de gripa ce se apropie. Il asteptam cu un castron de Pho fierbinte.

Asta e reteta facuta de mine, cu cateva modificari aduse celei din Gourmet.

Pho Bo

2 cepe taiate solzisori
o bucata de radacina de ghimbir, necuratata

3 litri zeama de supa de vita
2 seminte de anason stelat
o jumatate de bat de scortisoara
3 cuisoare
1 lingura boabe de piper

250 g carne de vita taiata f.f. subtire sau o bucata de carne de vita pentru friptura sau muschi
450 g fidea de orez
125 ml sos de peste Nam Pla ( sau sos de soia), sau dupa gust
½ lingurita sare, sau dupa gust

- Se pune ceapa si ghimbirul la copt intr-o tava la temperatura maxima sau la broiler (cand se incinge si gratarul de deasupra), pana sunt arse putin, 20-25 minute. Se pun intr-un castron si se lasa sa se raceasca. Cand ghimbirul e suficient de rece, se cojeste. Eu nu am spalat si cojit cepele, pentru ca ne plac putin mai arse.
- Se face un saculet din tifon in care se pune anasonul, scortisoara, cuisoarele si piperul si se pune la fiert cu zeama de supa, ceapa si ghimbirul. Se pune la fiert la foc mic neacoperit cca 30 minute. Se scoate saculetul de condimente si in ultimul minut se adauga sosul de peste, chiar inainte de a servi supa.
- Eu am gasit carne de vita shabu-shabu (adica e taiata feliute extem de subtiri) la un supermarket japonez, asa ca am sarit pasul asta. Dar se poate folosi o bucata de carne de vita pentru gratar sau muschi. Cat timp fierbe zeama de supa, se puen carnea la congelator si se lasa timp de 30 minute cat sa fie ferma, dar nu inghetata, apoi se taie impotriva fibrei feliute extem de subtiri.
- Se pune fideaua la muiat in apa rece, timp de 30 minute, apoi se scurge. Se pun taiteii la fiert in apa sarata clocotita, numai un minut, apoi se scurg.
- Se impart taiteii in castroanele de supa. Se pun deasupra cateva feliute de carne si se toarna peste cateva polonice de supa fierbinte. Zeama fierbinte va gati carnea.
Se serveste imediat, cu muguri de fasole, coriandru proaspat, menta, busuioc thailandez, ceapa verde tocata marunt, felii de limeta, ardei iute taiat feliute.