59 recipes. Page 3 of 3
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The duck breast is cooked slowly skin side down to render out its fat before it meets the curry, so the browned skin still tastes of the pan even in a rich coconut red curry. Bamboo shoots, red pepper and Thai basil go in with it.
Turmeric and fish sauce tint the pork yellow and season it before it ever meets the pan, and that colored fat ends up in the broth. Mi quang, from Quang Nam province in central Vietnam, uses only enough of that concentrated broth to moisten the noodles, so the bowl eats more like dressed noodles than soup. Shrimp cooked separately and briefly stays tender, and bean sprouts with peanuts added at the last moment keep their crunch against the soft rice noodles.
Peeled boiled eggs simmer with the pork in coconut water, fish sauce and caramel long enough for the whites to turn deep brown. In Vietnamese homes the sauce is spooned over rice, and the eggs pick up even more flavor if the pot cools overnight and is reheated.
Mohinga, often called Myanmar's national dish, builds its soup from the water the fish was poached in, then returns the flaked fish to the pot so every spoonful carries it. Chickpea flour stirred in as a slurry gives the broth a heavier, almost porridge-like body that sets it apart from clear noodle soups, and turmeric tints it a soft gold. The flour has to be fully dissolved in cold water and added a little at a time, which avoids lumps and lets the cook stop at the thickness they want. Onion and garlic simmer in the stock long enough to scent it before the seasoning is added, and the rice noodles are rinsed separately before the soup is ladled over. Crisp chickpea fritters, boiled egg, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime finish each bowl with crunch and acidity.
Wide rice noodles, chicken thigh, garlic, fresh chili, and Thai basil hit a smoking-hot wok together in this spicy Thai stir-fry, also called drunken noodles. The noodles soak only until pliable, keeping a firm core so they hold their shape over high heat. Fish sauce brings briny depth, and dark soy sauce colors the noodles and adds a hint of sweetness.
The water used to poach the chicken breast is kept, and a spoonful goes in whenever the rice vermicelli starts to look dry in the pan. The thin noodles soak up the chicken flavor along with the soy and fish sauce and finish loose, with no liquid pooling underneath.
With dry-pan charred onion and ginger as its only aromatics and no star anise or cinnamon, this northern-style broth tastes cleaner and lighter than spice-heavy pho. Brisket simmered for 40 minutes makes the stock instead of long-boiled bones, and the same beef, sliced thin across the grain, becomes the topping. With so few ingredients, careful skimming of fat and foam shows directly in the bowl, and cilantro and lime add the final lift.
Chicken thighs simmered gently for 40 minutes make both the broth and the topping: once they pull apart easily, the meat is shredded along the grain and laid over the noodles. A hard bubble would cloud the stock, so the heat stays low throughout, and fish sauce is added only at the very end to keep its aroma. Onion and ginger charred dark on the outside give the stock a sweet, toasty depth. In the Hanoi manner, scallions and bean sprouts top the bowl, and in Hanoi pho ga is a common breakfast. Lime is squeezed in only at the table to keep its scent bright.
Served without broth, these Shan-style rice noodles from Myanmar are tossed at the table with a topping of minced chicken cooked in soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili flakes. Garlic and onion sizzled until translucent form the aromatic base, and a final drizzle of warm pan oil carries that fragrance into every strand. The amount of chili flakes alone sets the heat. The noodles come out of the pot 30 seconds short of the package time, so they keep their bounce through the mixing. If the rinsed strands start to stick, a teaspoon of oil tossed through them first keeps them apart.
Star anise and cinnamon steeped in beef broth, darkened with dark soy sauce, give this bowl its deep color and warm spice aroma, while fish sauce and a little palm sugar keep it salty with a rounded edge. The name comes from noodles once sold from boats along Thai canals. Thin beef slices cook in the hot broth for only a minute or two, and the bean sprouts soften under the ladle yet keep some crunch.
Lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar make a sharp, salty, faintly sweet dressing that soaks into fine mung bean glass noodles, poached shrimp, celery, and red onion. Cilantro goes in last and is folded through lightly so the leaves stay bright. The salad is meant to be eaten right after mixing, while the noodles are still springy rather than swollen with dressing. Thick sweet potato noodles used for Korean japchae are not a substitute, since they need different soaking and cooking times.