Street Food - Pho the Love of It!

Hello again!

Firstly, can I assure you that I don't have an issue with my understanding of what number comes after what.

I've just noticed, upon reflecting on my 'seven blogs in seven days' that the sequencing of the posts seems to be a bit out of whack! I'm going to blame blogger as I can vouch for my own preparation of the said pieces. One comes before two, three four and so on.

But let's not ponder, let's move onto something different and talk about how we can expect our experience of dining out to change as the next phase of food trends embrace us.

We've all travelled, and to some pretty exotic and far away places no doubt. Most of the fun (for me at least) is seeing what the locals eat and in some instances tempting fate (and food poisoning) to try some of the local traditional dishes.

I remember being in Sweden and trying reindeer (poor Rudolph!!) and then eating cloudberries in Norway (oh, what an amazing taste sensation that was).

Closer to home, I just adore a trip down Victoria Street in Richmond (Melbourne) to sample some of the amazing offerings available at the many Vietnamese establishments. The far end of Victoria Street (furtherest away from the CBD), seems to offer the greatest throng of very basic looking eateries (I won't call them restaurants or cafes because I just don't think they are) where you can get some really amazing street food. One dish in particular that can take all of your cares and worries away is Pho (pronounced 'fur).

Pho is everything, all at once - hot, cold, raw, cooked, sweet and sour. Not because it has an identity crisis and can't decide what it wants to be, but more so because this is what the dish is all about....everything!

You start with a base broth which is traditionally beef but can be complemented with the alluring flavours of star anise, cloves and cinnamon. Cardamom can also be substituted.

The next essential addition is rice noodles which can either be fresh or dehydrated. These 'chunk' up the dish but do not detract from the alluring broth's flavour but rather enhance the dining experience.

Now it's time to construct a Pho that is unique to your requirements with the addition of a range of raw ingredients, in varying quantities (entirely up to you, the individual). It's like a smorgasbord at your table without the need for queuing. Who could ask for more...

Sliced beef or chicken and a series of garnishes - bean sprouts, spring onions, fresh chilli, Thai basil, coriander and the pièce de résistance, wedges of lemon or lime. As a result of the final addition of citrus zing, the dish is instantly transformed and offers the diner a cleansing and tangy kick into next week. Pho has been described as one of those dishes that makes life better. Here's a recipe to try to see if it does the trick for you.

Beef Pho (by Donna Hay with Iron Chef Shellie alterations)

375g flat rice noodles (similar to ones used in pad Thai)
1.5 litres beef stock or consomme
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 spring onion, cut into 0.5cm pieces (I like to cut mine using scissors)
200g eye fillet, cut paper thin (the best way to do this is to freeze, then cut with a very sharp blade)
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup Thai bail
2 small red chillies, sliced
Fish sauce lemon wedges, to serve

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and divide between serving bowls.

Place the stock, cinnamon, star anise and cardamon in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Top the noodles with the spring onion, beef and pour over the stock. The stock will cook the raw eye fillet.

Top with the Thai basil, bean sprouts and chilli.

Add fish sauce and lemon or lime juice to taste.

Serves 4.

If you can't be bothered doing any of this at home, visit Co Do in Melbourne (on Victoria Street, Richmond of course) and enjoy a great splash of Asian street food!