I few years back I got to work with a talented Vietnamese restaurant owner and chef.
The Green Papaya was the name of this restaurant that my friend operated back in Hanoi and now here in White Rock.
He brought all his family’s cooking equipment and experience gained from his chef father and began showing me a real passion he held for this soup recipe.
I was taught how to blend and roast spices t…o obtain a real delicious Beef Pho’ Noodle soup.
I was now being exposed to a lot of new tricks that were vague to me in the past when I was learning how to cook in the Vietnamese style. I was now being brought up to speed on all the new strange tasting and sounding ingredients that were real traditional ingredients for this soup which is made by roasting and simmering beef veal bones, onions, bay leaf, chosen flavour spices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, dried orange peels, lemon grass, salts, and peppers.
The amount chili peppers used depends on the personal tastes.
The roasting of the spices and the amount of veal bones used to construct the broth is what makes a bowl of this rice noodle soup so tasty good!
Once you have chosen your favourite spices and have started a good broth, it should simmer and reduce for at least 24 hours.
Add some blanched vermicelli noodles, fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil, spring onion, chili pepper, wedge of lime, and thin slices of beef and enjoy!
I like mine sided with vegetable stuffed rice wrap spring rolls.
Time to Thai One On!
Thekitchenman.ca
