Faux Pho

19/12 FAUX PHO

There are times in your life where you need wisdom and guidance. I found some in the form of this indecipherable old man in a little chinois store in Paris. Impressed by my basket of asian oddities,  a bizarre personal obsession, he proceeded to tell me in incredibly broken frenchinesenglish what I need to have. I left the store with my bag heaving with optimism that maybe this time I will infiltrate asian culture and make a convincing oriental meal.

After many disappointingly soggy, flavourless stir-frys I had all but given up hope of cooking anything asian, except asian (con)fusion. As convincingly as one of Jennifer Garners aliases the secret here was the magic soup stock that allowed me to authentically fake a herbal noodle soup. The other ingredient which transformed me was a miscellaneous legume that the wise man thrust at me. Later revealed as a daikon radish, this sticky root helped to thicken the broth and completed my disguise. I got away with it this time, but the truth will out in time - lets see how well this wig works.

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

300g Noodles
200g Flash-steak (Cheap cut)
2 tbls Soy/Blackbean sauce
1/2 Broccoli
1/2 Cauliflower
1/2 Daikon Raddish
5 Chilis (small heat demons)
1/2 Ginger
Spring Onion
1 Herbal-Soup Stock
2L Water
Chill oil/Chilli powder/Chilli Flakes/Fresh Chilli

What I did - 

Use the magic soup stock, which took the form of large seasoning sachets which are boiled for half an hour and then removed like a teabag. Also steeped simulataneously are the chillies and ginger, which are also removed after 30 minutes leaving a clear yet pungently fragrant broth.

While cheating the stock, dress the steak in the soy-bean sauce and throw under a hot grill for five minutes. No need for perfection as it will be added to the soup, more to draw out the flavour and stop it boiling  to buggery in the pot. Leave aside until ready to serve.

Quickly slice the broccoli and cauliflower into large flat cross-sections, the onion into small green pieces and the daikon radish into sticky flat discs. Add all the veg to the ready soup stock. Then add the noodles, making sure that the strands don't clump together or stick to the pan (learn the hard way).  Best do all this very fast so that the noodles don't turn to mush and the vegetables par-boil, leaving them crunchy yet cooked.

Serve into individual bowls and strew with a few slices of the grilled steak on top. Then crown your bowl with whichever form of red-hot chilli you prefer.

JG