My mum grew up in Saigon in the 60's before relocating to France, so Pho has always been part of my family's culinary repertoire. I still have memories of my mum each time correcting my pronunciation as "fuh"!
Vietnamese Noodle Soup
The good news is that making your own fabulous bowl of Vietnamese pho at home is not hard, all you need is a straightforward recipe and a nice big stockpot. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and meat and you'll be in Pho heaven!
Ingredients
1largeOnion, peeled and halved
1largePiece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
5mediumStar anise
4mediumWhole cloves
3mediumCinnamon sticks
2mediumCardamom pods
1tbsCoriander seeds
1.5kgBeef brisket
1kgBeef meaty bones
1kgMarrow bones
2tspBrown sugar
4tspFish sauce
300gRib eye fillet, briefly frozen to very thinly slice
1mediumPack rice noodles
1bunchFresh mint / basil
100gbeansprouts
2mediumlimes
Instructions
Place onion and ginger in a dry hot pan cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until charred. Remove and set aside. Toast Spices for 3 minutes and set aside.
Place bones & brisket in a large stockpot, cover with water and boil on high heat for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well under tap water to remove impurities for a clearer broth.
Wipe pot clean and add clean bones and brisket back in, with onion, ginger, spices and cover with 3 litres of water. Add sugar and salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours.
Remove brisket, which should be fall-apart tender, set aside, and refrigerate for later. Simmer the rest uncovered for a further 40 minutes.
Strain broth into another pot, discard bones, vegetables, and spices. Add fish sauce and season with more salt and sugar if needed and keep warm on low heat.
To assemble the soup, prepare rice noodles per packet, place noodles in a bowl. Top with bean sprouts, thinly sliced raw beef and brisket, and ladle over hot broth to cook the meat. Serve with extra bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lime, and hot sauce.