Most people know pho with beef or chicken. Phở cá swaps in fish: the fish is poached in the pork-bone broth, then pulled into pieces, fried with garlic and laid on top of the noodles. Like any pho, the broth is the part that takes time, so this is a weekend recipe. Time: the pork bones simmer for 2–3 hours, and the fish cooks in the same pot for another 30–45 minutes. Ingredients For the broth 2 kg pork bones 1 kg fish (snakehead is recommended) 30–50 g sliced ginger 1–3 onions, peeled and grilled 1 star anise, grilled or roasted 1–2 cardamom pods, baked or roasted 5 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick, 10–15 cm long Yellow rock sugar (đường phèn) Fish sauce, salt and sugar For the fish topping Cooking oil and minced garlic For the bowls 500 g pho noodles Sliced chilli and pepper Lime, black sauce (soybean sauce) and chilli sauce, to taste Bean sprouts, basil, rice paddy herb and saw leaf herb, washed Black sauce (soybean sauce), chilli sauce and the herbs are sold at Vietnamese markets. If you’re not sure which greens go with pho, ask there. How to make phở cá 1. Simmer the bones Wash the pork bones 2–3 times in water with a little salt. Put them in a pot with 2 liters of water and bring it to the boil. Skim off the scum from time to time to keep the broth clear. Simmer for 2–3 hours, topping up with water if it runs low, and leave the pot uncovered. 2. Poach the fish Clean the fish carefully in water with a little salt, until it is no longer slimy. Let it dry, then cut it into 3 pieces. Add them to the pot of bones and cook for 30–45 minutes. Lift the fish out onto a plate. 3. Strain and season the broth Pour another 3 liters of water into the broth and bring it back to the boil. Turn off the heat and strain the broth to get rid of the small bones. Put it back on the heat and add the star anise, grilled onion, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. When it boils, season with fish sauce, rock sugar and salt, tasting as you go. 4. Fry the fish When the fish has cooled, take off the skin and bones and tear the meat into small pieces. Heat some oil in a pan, fry the minced garlic until fragrant, then add the fish and fry for 4–5 minutes. Set it aside in a bowl for topping. 5. Soften the noodles and serve Bring a pot of water to the boil and soak the pho noodles in it for 5–7 minutes. Put the noodles in a bowl, lay the fried fish on top and ladle over the hot broth. Sprinkle with sliced chilli and pepper. Add lime juice, black sauce (soybean sauce) and chilli sauce to taste, and serve the greens on the side, the way Vietnamese families eat pho at home. Share:
