Pho

We've had some cold-ish weather in the evenings here in Northern Nevada and I've had a hankering for some comfort food.

Since I am a So Cal girl at heart, Pho immediately came to mind.

Pho is a Vietnamese style broth used for a noodle soup. I used a combination of several recipes to get just the right flavor.

I used this amazing recipe by Charles Phan for the prep since I think that roasting the onions and ginger gave it a delicious depth of flavor. I also used some of the excellent suggestions by smitten kitchen to the Charles Phan recipe and added some of my own twists to the broth.

For example, I roasted the chicken before adding it to the stock and skimmed the stock constantly, to keep it clear. I also simmered it on very low to keep it clear. I also added all the additional suggested seasonings; a cinnamon stick, 4 star anise, 1 tsp of cardamom pods, 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds and 6 whole cloves.

I separated the meat and strained the broth through several layers of cheesecloth...
and cooked the rice noodles separately

You can cook the rice noodles, rinse them in cold water, and store them in the fridge in cold water until you want to use them in either a bowl of pho or in spring rolls.

When you are ready to make a bowl of pho, you add chopped baby boc choy, fresh (rinsed) mung beans and some of the meat to the bowl. Top with a handful of the cooked noodles and top with boiling hot broth.

Serve with fresh mint, fresh basil and lime wedges.

Eat, and repeat.