Bún mọc is a rice vermicelli soup named after its mọc: balls of seasoned ground pork studded with black fungus. It came from the north of Vietnam and is now eaten all over the country, Ho Chi Minh City included. The bowl also carries chicken and pork chop, and it should be served while the broth is still hot. Ingredients For the broth and meat 800 g chicken 300 g pork chop 2 white onions 2.5 litres cold water Salt and sugar For the mọc (pork balls) 400 g ground pork (giò sống) 6 pieces black fungus (wood ear) Pepper and monosodium glutamate (MSG) Boiled quail eggs (optional) For the chilli paste 50 g chilli paste 50 g chilli powder 3 tablespoons oil Garlic 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass 2 tablespoons annatto seeds 2 tablespoons fish sauce (a little goes into the chilli paste) Sugar and MSG For the bowls 1.5 kg rice vermicelli (bún) 200 g Vietnamese pork sausage 100 g shallots 1 handful of Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) Parsley and spring onion Pepper To serve on the side Shrimp paste, lime and chilli Bean sprouts, sliced banana flower, water spinach and other greens Fish sauce How to make bún mọc 1. Prepare everything Chicken: clean it and leave it to dry. Pork chop: wash it in cold water with a little salt, then leave it in a basket to drain. Ground pork (giò sống): season with a little pepper and MSG. Black fungus: soak in water for about 30 minutes, then slice into small pieces. White onions: peel and slice. Pork sausage: cut into medium slices. Shallots: peel, slice and fry until golden. Garlic: mince and fry in oil until golden. Parsley, spring onion, lime and chilli: slice. Vietnamese coriander: wash and slice finely. Greens: wash in cold water with a little lime juice or vinegar, pour the water away and leave them to dry. Vermicelli: rinse in hot water and leave to drain. For the chilli paste, fry the minced lemongrass until golden, then mix the chilli paste with the 3 tablespoons of oil, the fried garlic, the lemongrass, annatto seeds, sugar and MSG. Separately, mix the chilli powder with a little fish sauce and MSG, then stir it into the chilli paste. 2. Make the mọc If you like, mix a little salt, sugar and sliced spring onion into the ground pork first. Scoop up a spoonful and roll it into a ball, then press a little sliced black fungus around it. If you’re using quail eggs, tuck a boiled one inside each ball. Drop the balls into boiling water, cook for about 5 minutes and lift them out straight away. If you prefer fried food, fry the balls instead of boiling them, or make some of each. 3. Cook the broth Put 2.5 litres of cold water in a pot with a little salt, sugar and the sliced white onion. When the water is hot, add the pork chop and chicken and keep the heat at medium. Don’t cover the pot, or the broth will turn cloudy. Cook for 45–60 minutes, then take the chicken and pork chop out. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning. To keep the chicken white, put it into cold water for about 3 minutes as soon as it comes out of the pot. Then tear the meat into small pieces. 4. Serve Put some vermicelli in each bowl. Add chicken, pork chop and mọc, boiled or fried. Sprinkle with pepper, parsley, spring onion, fried shallots and Vietnamese coriander, then pour in the hot broth. Put the shrimp paste, lime juice, chilli, bean sprouts, banana flower, water spinach, fish sauce and chilli paste on the table so everyone can add what they like. Share:
