[food] experiments in phở chay
Jun. 27th, 2019 07:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaberettlo these many years ago I bought half a kilo of star anise (because it was about an order of magnitude cheaper by weight than doing it any other way), in order to attempt phở chay. I did not, at the time, have access to my own kitchen or ready funds to buy my own ingredients, and I was living somewhere which at the time had extremely limited access to such things as holy basil, so after my first attempt I gave up in some amount of resentment.
A couple of weeks ago I realised almost none of those constraints applied any more and had another go, having poked around several different recipes.
Ingredients
Broth
an apple
(a pear? not tried +a pear yet)
at least one of carrot
an onion
corn cob
(leek?)
lots of water (or veg stock)
some salt
some palm sugar
(also optionally: kohlrabi/daikon/mushroom seasoning e.g. by powdering some dried mushroom)
(also optionally: some soy)
Things to set on fire
a thumb of ginger
one onion (or two shallots)
3 star anise
a large stick of cinnamon (preferably cassia)
some black cardamom
ideally, some cloves and some coriander seed
Soup ingredients
pak choi
Other Miscellaneous Greens
tofu
tofu skin
mushrooms, ideally Interesting
five-spice
appropriate noodles
Garnishes
bean sprouts
mint
coriander leaf
holy basil
spring onion
lime
sriracha
(hoisin sauce?)
Method
Chop and then combine all the broth ingredients (except the soy sauce) and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blacken the various things for burning (or dry-roast the spices if preferred), rinse off the charring, bundle up in cheesecloth (optional), add to the broth, simmer for at least two hours.
Prep the soup ingredients (e.g. prepare the noodles, steam the pak choi/greens, fry the tofu). Put appropriate portions in bowls and top up with broth.
Season with garnishes. Eat a food.
A couple of weeks ago I realised almost none of those constraints applied any more and had another go, having poked around several different recipes.
Ingredients
Broth
an apple
(a pear? not tried +a pear yet)
at least one of carrot
an onion
corn cob
(leek?)
lots of water (or veg stock)
some salt
some palm sugar
(also optionally: kohlrabi/daikon/mushroom seasoning e.g. by powdering some dried mushroom)
(also optionally: some soy)
Things to set on fire
a thumb of ginger
one onion (or two shallots)
3 star anise
a large stick of cinnamon (preferably cassia)
some black cardamom
ideally, some cloves and some coriander seed
Soup ingredients
pak choi
Other Miscellaneous Greens
tofu
tofu skin
mushrooms, ideally Interesting
five-spice
appropriate noodles
Garnishes
bean sprouts
mint
coriander leaf
holy basil
spring onion
lime
sriracha
(hoisin sauce?)
Method
Chop and then combine all the broth ingredients (except the soy sauce) and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blacken the various things for burning (or dry-roast the spices if preferred), rinse off the charring, bundle up in cheesecloth (optional), add to the broth, simmer for at least two hours.
Prep the soup ingredients (e.g. prepare the noodles, steam the pak choi/greens, fry the tofu). Put appropriate portions in bowls and top up with broth.
Season with garnishes. Eat a food.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 07:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 07:51 pm (UTC)It worked pretty well, and made enough for several days! I am going to continue Refining, is the idea.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 08:17 pm (UTC)I didn't know you charred spices for pho. TIL. Thanks. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 08:19 pm (UTC)YEP. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-27 09:59 pm (UTC)We have been struggling to make good pho at home, so I'll give this a try.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 10:27 am (UTC)It's not quite there yet, but getting actual veg pho is... not possible within easy-for-me level-access travel radius of my residence, so making a Good Enough version at home is A Good. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 11:40 am (UTC):)
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 01:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 10:28 am (UTC)We have a gas hob. I'm flame-roasting those ingredients on an open fire until their outsides are fairly evenly charred. This means Occasional Smouldering.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-29 07:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-29 07:40 pm (UTC)I actually just put the little bitty things on the plates and let the flames lick up over the top of them! because I do not have any metal tongs. >_>
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 03:34 pm (UTC)I've never actually had phở, despite living in a place where it's very easy to get hold of. I've figured it's probably one of those foods where I'll have to educate my palate before it becomes Food For Vass, and that's always harder in public. Phở chay might be a good starting point, actually. That way at least I can eliminate the anxiety of unfamiliar cuts of meat or having to deal with rare beef. Plus, Interesting Mushrooms are good.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-06-28 03:58 pm (UTC)<333 much sympathy on attempting to (re)habilitate Not Foods.