← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork bones or neck bones
• 3 l Water
• 30 g Dried shrimp
• 300 g Daikon radish, cut into chunks
• 1 Onion, halved
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp rock sugar or white sugar
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 300 g lean pork loin, in one piece
• 200 g Minced pork
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 12 raw prawns, peeled, tails on
• 8 Quail eggs, boiled and peeled (optional)
• 400 g dried clear hủ tiếu rice noodles (or thin rice sticks)
• 200 g Bean sprouts
• 1 bunch Garlic chives, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 2 Chinese celery or celery leaves, chopped
• 3 Spring onion, sliced
• 3 tbsp Crispy fried shallots
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges
• black pepper, to finish

Method

1. Put the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and boil hard for 5 min. Drain, rinse the bones and clean the pot.
2. Toast the dried shrimp in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant. Return the bones to the pot with the 3 litres of water, shrimp, daikon and onion. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 1½ hours, skimming now and then.
3. Add the pork loin for the last 30 min, until cooked through and firm. Lift it out into cold water, then slice thinly. Strain the broth and season with the salt, sugar and fish sauce; it should taste clean and slightly sweet.
4. Heat the oil in a small pan, fry the garlic until golden, then add the mince and a ladle of broth. Stir over medium heat for 4–5 min until cooked and crumbly.
5. Poach the prawns in the simmering broth for 2–3 min until pink, then lift out. Soak or cook the noodles according to the packet and drain.
6. To serve, dip each portion of noodles and some sprouts into boiling water for a few seconds and tip into bowls. Top with sliced pork, mince, prawns and quail eggs, ladle over the hot broth and finish with chives, celery, spring onion, fried shallots, pepper and lime.

Tips

• Prawns contain shellfish allergens; the broth is also made with dried shrimp.
• For the “dry” version (hủ tiếu khô), toss the noodles with a little soy, sugar and garlic oil and serve the broth on the side.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Wok and Kin Vicky Pham