If you have a chance to visit the mountainous region of Pleiku where I was born, you must try the dry noodle dish (phở khô) – the pride of Pleiku. When ordering your food, you just called out: “cho một tô phở khô” (give me a bowl of dry noodle) – and automatically they will bring you two bowls. How’s that for service?
Phở khô Hồng is another of my favorite place. Her noodle bowl is full of goodness ground pork, fried pork fat, and fried shallots, served with your choice of a bowl of broth with thin slices of beef or beef meatballs.
for broth
1 large piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices
1 onion, peeled, cut into half or
a handful of shallots, peeled
a handful of garlic cloves, peeled
1 rock sugar, about 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 packet phở spice
for sauce
3 shallots, thinly slices
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 white and light green parts of green onion
1 tablespoon olive oil or annatto oil (recipe here)
1/2 cup Maggi Europe soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika, optional
other ingredients
fried pork fat, click here for recipe
2 bags phở noodle
bean sprouts
lettuces, optional
basil leaves
culantro leaves (ngò gai), finely chopped, optional
cilantro, finely chopped
chili peppers, thinly sliced, optional
lime or lemon, cut into wedges
black pepper
*
Discard any excess fat from a hen. Rinse hen with cold water and place in a stockpot. Add the water (just enough to submerge the hen), ginger slices, onion or shallots, garlic, rock sugar, salt, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let the chicken sits for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove the chicken, let cool, and shred or cut the meat. You can also cool down the chicken quickly by placing in ice and water.
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| any brand you pick would be fine |
Simmer the broth for another 15-20 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If you like beef meatballs, cut each meatball into half, and add them into the pot.
Place noodle into a bowl. Top with shredded chicken, fried pork fat, fried shallots, chopped herbs, and sprinkle some black pepper.
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| shredded chicken with egg yolks inside the chicken |
Second Bowl – If you like to have steak in your broth, add thin slices or chopped steak into the bowl, then ladle the boiling broth into the bowl.
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| I prefer serving phở with chopped steak over sliced steak |
Otherwise, ladle broth, with or without meatballs into the bowl. Garnish with cilantro and a dash of black pepper.
Serve ‘phở hai tô’ with a side of sauce, bean sprouts, lettuces, basil, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, sriracha hot sauce, or chili peppers for each person to garnish their own noodle as desired.
