Beef pho

Annabel Langbein media

You can make this with chicken stock and chicken if you prefer but you’ll need to simmer the thinly sliced chicken in the broth to fully cook it through before adding it to the noodles. Bean thread vermicelli is often available in the produce department at the supermarket. You can boil it for hours and it won’t fall apart.

For the beef pho

100 g	Bean thread vermicelli, or dried rice vermicelli (Main)
1 Ltr	Beef stock, good-quality
2 cups	Water
1 ½ Tbsp	Fish sauce
½ tsp	Five spice powder
1 pinch	Ground cloves
1 Tbsp	Fresh ginger, grated
½	Long red chillies, deseeded, use up to 1
1	Kaffir lime, or zest of 1 lime, finely grated
4	Button mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk	Lemongrass, optional
100 g	Beef fillets, trimmed, use up to 150g (Main)
2	Spring onions
1 medium	Carrot
2 Tbsp	Chopped coriander
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice, or lime juice, use up to 4 Tbsp

To serve

1 small handful	Coriander leaves
0	Lime cheeks
1 sprinkle	Sliced fresh chillies, optional

Directions

1. Place vermicelli noodles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. While they soak, place stock in a pot with water, fish sauce, five-spice powder, cloves, ginger, finely chopped chilli, lime leaf or zest and mushrooms. Bruise the lemongrass stalk, if using, with a rolling pin and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. While the broth is cooking, cut the beef fillet across the grain into the thinnest possible slices.
2. To prepare the garnish, cut spring onions and carrot into 5cm lengths and then shred finely. Drain noodles, snip with scissors in a few places for easy eating and divide between heated bowls. Top with raw beef slices and coriander. Remove lemongrass stalk and lime leaf, if using, from broth, adjust seasonings to taste and divide boiling broth between bowls (it will lightly cook the beef). Drizzle each bowl with 1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice and top with shredded spring onion and carrot. Garnish with coriander leaves and lime wedges and serve at once. If desired, accompany with a bowl of sliced chillies.

Also try:

• Vietnamese noodle salad
• Thai chicken and bok choy noodles