Mai Pham's The Flavors of Asia cookbook, created in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, divines superb recipes from leading chefs.
The recipes, which come with intriguing bits of commentary from Pham (who, by the way runs the acclaimed Lemon Grass Restaurant and Lemon Grass Asian Grill and Noodle Bar in Sacramento, California) are representative of dishes from China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Sections are divided into appetizers and small plates - recalling the hawker stalls of many Asian streets - soups and noodle soups, salads and vegetables, meats, seafood, rice and breads, chutneys and sauces and finally, sweets, drinks & desserts.
There is a wealth of flavours and tastes for the curious chef here.
Here is her Pho Ga recipe and If you want to try another recipe from her wonderful cookbook, check out Hanoi Fish
Here is a recipe adapted from Flavors of Asia (Excerpt from Flavors of Asia Copyright 2009 Mai Pham/DK Publishing):
In Vietnam, millions of people wake up each morning to an invigorating bowl of noodle soup called pho, which is made by simmering beef marrow bones and beef oxtail with spices and ginger for as long as 8 hours. This chicken version is a lot quicker but very delicious. If you like, you can also use sliced beef (steak is best) as the meat topping. The key to good pho is to make sure the broth is served piping hot.
VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN - PHO GA
SERVES 6
BROTH
- One 4-inch (10-cm) piece ginger
- 2 yellow onions, peeled
- 6 star anise, lightly toasted
- 6 cloves, lightly toasted
- 3 to 4 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken bones (preferably backs), skin removed
- One 3-pound 8-ounce (1.6-kg) whole chicken, split in half
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, or as needed
NOODLES
- 1 pound (450 g) dried ¹/16-inch-wide rice sticks
- ¾ cup very thinly sliced yellow onions
- ¹/³ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¹/³ cupchopped cilantro
GARNISH
- 5 cups bean sprouts
- 20 Asian basil sprigs
- 12 saw-leaf herb leaves (optional)
- 3 Thai bird chiles, or 1 serrano chile, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the broth: Cut the piece of ginger in half lengthwise and bruise with the flat side of a knife. Char the ginger over an open flame or under the broiler, 3 to 4 minutes. Char the onions over an open flame or under the broiler, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place the star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth or spice bag and set aside.
- Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add the chicken bones and chicken halves. Boil vigorously for 3 minutes over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low so that the liquid maintains a simmer. Skim the surface of the broth as necessary to remove any fat or foam. Add the charred ginger, onions, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Cook until the chicken is just done, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken, but not the chicken bones, and set aside to cool.
- Add the spice bag to the pot and simmer the broth for another hour. Remove and discard the spice bag. Adjust the seasoning and reduce the heat to very low.
- Remove the skin from the reserved chicken and discard. Hand-shred half of the chicken into bite-sized strips. Save the other half for another use; you don’t need much to garnish pho, but you do need a whole chicken to make a good broth.
- For the noodles: Soak the noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice sticks and boil until soft but still resilient, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place 1 cup of the cooked noodles in each of six preheated bowls. If the noodles are not hot, reheat in a microwave or dip briefly in boiling water. Place 2 tablespoons sliced yellow onions and ¹⁄³ cup shredded chicken on top. Bring the broth back to a rolling boil, then ladle 1 cup into each bowl. Top with green onions and cilantro. Invite guests to garnish their bowls with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, chiles, squeezes of lime juice, and black pepper.
