Name: Vietnamese Pho
Yield: Serves 4–6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 large onions, peeled and quartered; a big knob of fresh ginger, cut into chunks; 2–3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks; 4 lemongrass stalks, bruised; 1.5 kg/3 lb 3 oz beef shanks, brisket, stewing beef or beef bones; 100 ml/3½ fl oz whisky of your choice (optional); 2–3 spring onions, trimmed and cut into long pieces; 1 tablespoon black garlic cloves, kept whole or halved lengthways; 4–6 garlic cloves, bruised; 350 g/12 oz dried rice or wheat noodles, soaked in lukewarm water for 20 minutes and drained; salt; a large handful of fresh bean sprouts; 1 red or green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced; a big bunch of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped; 200 g/7 oz beef fillet, very finely sliced; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 limes, quartered; a big bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Spirit & Spice

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2019

About

I always think of this classic noodle soup as Vietnam in a bowl. With noodles and tender beef slices in a stock flavoured with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and star anise, it is everyone’s bowl of yin and yang. The stock is the star of the show and the Vietnamese go to great lengths to make it tasty – it takes time but it is worth it. To this you use your own artistry and add flavourings from a choice of fresh garnishes – a sprinkling of crisp bean sprouts, a sharp bite of spring onion or a spl