Pho Sure!

I enjoyed my Thai Cooking Class so much that I decided to do it again but this time in Vietnam. With Pho being one of my favorite foods it was an easy decision J To all my fellow San Diegans, if you love the OB Noodle House as much as I do the recipe is below and now you can make it at home!

With centuries under the Chinese dynasties’ reign and 100-year French colonization, Vietnamese culture has many influences and the cuisine has taken a unique shape. The Chinese introduced the use of chopsticks, the art of stir-frying and the consumption of noodles, while the French played a crucial role in the development of the Vietnamese cuisine by introducing techniques of sautéing and different Western foods.

Even with all the foreign influences, Vietnamese cuisine has retained a distinctive character. The Vietnamese are skilled at combining complementary ingredients to form new flavors with contrasting textures. The food is generally healthy, thanks to its reliance on fresh vegetables, stir-frying and the use of vegetable oil rather than butter.

A Vietnamese meal is rarely divided into courses. All the food is served at once and from large family style platters. Most meals include soup, a small salad, stir-fry and another main dish.

 Lunch is served! We also learned how to make vegetable salad with pork and shrimp and grilled pork

Enjoying traditional Vietnamese lunch with my best friend JeLynn. She came all the way from San Diego J

Vietnamese soups stem from the French influence and Pho is the most popular food among the Vietnamese population. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast, although many will have it for lunch or dinner. Typically, the rice noodle is made of the best variety of fragrant rice called ‘Gao Te’. The most common broth for Pho is made with beef and called Pho Bo. It is made by stewing the bones of cows and pigs in a large pot. But broth can also be made from chicken, which is called Pho Ga.

Below is the recipe for Pho Ga from my Vietnamese Cooking Class in Ho Chi Minh aka the old Saigon. I attended The Saigon Culinary Art Center, which has a restaurant below and was taught by the lovely yet stern Executive Chef, Chef Nguyen. I learned a lot about the Vietnamese culture and cuisine. I got to taste many traditional Vietnamese dishes and had a great time!

Ingredients:

2-4 ½ pound chicken

1 gallon of water

20-30 grams ginger, grilled

1 large onion, grilled

4-5 shallots, grilled

2-3 pieces of star anise

20 pieces of cardamom

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cloves

pinch of pepper

2 Tbsp of salt

3 Tbsp of sugar

2 Tbsp of chicken powder

1 Tbsp of fish sauce

500 grams white rice noodle

cilantro, sliced

Garnishes:

1 medium onion, sliced

2 Tbsp of scallions, cut in julienne

chilli sauce

yellow bean sauce

red chillies, sliced

basil leaf

mint leaf

saw-leaf herb [or use cilanto as a substitute]

bean sprouts

lime wedges

Preparation:

1. Stir-fry on low heat the star anise, cardamom and cinnamon until fragrant. Turn off heat, then add coriander seeds and cloves.

2. Put the 5 spices into a small steeping bag like those used for loose-leaf tea.

3. Grill shallots, large white onion and ginger. Once grilled on all sides, peel and clean.

4. To clean chicken simmer in water for 3-5 minutes

Method:

1. To make broth, transfer chicken into new pot with fresh simmering water. Continue to simmer for 45-60 minutes on low heat until chicken is floating.

2. Add grilled and peeled shallots, large white onion and ginger to broth after the chicken has boiled for 30 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from broth and cut/shred into pieces.

4. Season broth with salt, sugar, chicken powder and fish sauce. Add steeping bag of 5 spices, and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat. Note: don’t steep too long or the broth will become bitter.

Taste broth; if you need more seasoning, add it. It's all personal preference.

Serving:

1. Wash and drain bean sprouts. Quickly blanch the rice noodles and bean sprouts in boiling water until soft, but don’t overcook. It only takes about 30-60 seconds. Then place in a bowl.

2. Top with chicken, sliced onion, scallions and cilantro leaves. Pour hot broth into the bowl and... 

...sprinkle with pepper. 

On separate platter, serve with chilli sauce, yellow bean sauce, sliced red chilli, lime wedges, mint leaves, basil leaves and saw-leaf herb. Add accordingly; you can add all or mix and match and figure out your favorite Pho accompaniments and as always...enjoy!