Beau's Pho Noodle Soup

After several years of urging, my husband has FINALLY agreed to write down some of his recipes. While he decides if he become a slave to his own blog, I've offered him a guest spot for a very reasonable rate right here. Without further ado, I will now turn over the microphone...

Since the green age of 13, I've been interested in food...evidenced by my sturdy physique. I still haven't recovered from having to wear husky pants as a kid, but that's a separate discussion. Over the years, I've dabbled with cooking, baking and micro-brewing. At least I'll be prepared if prohibition returns. Contingency plans are critical. While my craft brews may not win Oktoberfest awards quite yet, my family and friends are convinced it's time to take my food public.

While I like to flirt with all flavors and spices, I suppose my home-base is cooking in a New American style - taking classic American dishes and classing them up a little bit. Unfortunately, my waistline doesn't appreciate too many nights of homestyle cooking, so I do my best to mix it up a bit and incorporate extra veggies.

As a general side note, I don't like to follow recipes too closely. These are just guidelines. We all have different pallets, so go ahead...sprinkle on that extra soy sauce and Sriracha!

Tonight's menu is Pho Noodle Soup with soy and ginger pulled-chicken:

Broth:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 quarts low sodium chicken stock
• 2 chicken breasts (or equivalent amount of boneless chicken thighs), roasted w/ marinade (see below) and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 star anise
• Pinch of cloves
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (or other chili sauce)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 lime, juiced

Roast Chicken Marinade:

• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1/4 cup, low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp, lime juice
• 1 tsp, rice vinegar
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Garnish:

• Scallions
• Lime wedge
• Rice Noodles (In an attempt at being healthier, I use brown rice noodles)
• Cilantro, roughly chopped
• Mint, roughly chopped (very key!)
• Basil, roughly chopped
• Bean Sprouts, raw (the heated broth will warm them up enough)
• Snap peas, blanched

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Spread the marinade over the chicken breasts and then place in a small baking dish. Bake chicken until cooked through (~45 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and brown, approximately 5 - 7 minutes. Salt and pepper those puppies. After the onion has browned, add in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Combine the cinnamon, bay leaf, start anise, chili sauce, lime, fish sauce, and crushed red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste (I sound like a broken record). Simmer covered for approximately 1 hour.

Remove the chicken from the oven. When cooled, roughly chop into bite sized pieces and add to the soup. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes....the chicken-y goodness gets blended with the soup the longer you cook it.

Chef's note: I like to add a few extra herbs (cilantro, basil, and mint) to the broth at the end and let them simmer for a few minutes...but I also add extra herbs as a garnish when serving.

When you are ready to serve, pour the soup over rice noodles and add garnishes. Voila! Serve with an icy cold Coors Light (when the the Rockies are blue, of course). Just kidding... serve with something respectable like Sapporo.

It's like food porn