Cook Book Club: April's Ingredient Is Cinnamon Stick. The Country: Vietnam!

Starting our third year highlighting countries, we move between Africa and Asia. Kits include a little bit about the country of focus, a recipe (or more) that is native to the country, and a unique ingredient or two from that recipe without which, it wouldn't be the same. Most recipes are from writers native to the country covered or otherwise lived experience of that culture. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!

Vietnam Food Culture

As explained by various cultural resources

The food culture of Vietnam, like many, focuses primarily on locally sourced, fresh ingredients and, as with many Asian cultures in particular, balancing the flavors across what is known as the five tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory). Given the area is ideal for the production of rice and its products as well as its prime location for seafood, many of the dishes involve rice, rice-based carbohydrates like noodles, fresh vegetables and lots of seafood. Some of the most iconic dishes in Vietnam that exemplify this are pho, banh mi, and spring rolls.

What Is Pho

Pho (pronounced "fuh") is a Vietnamese soup believed to have been developed during the French colonial period, likely due to a combination of influences both French, Thai and Chinese. While it has become an iconic and popular dish, elements such as its primary use of beef (though sometimes chicken as in the recipe below) are not traditionally elements of Vietnamese cuisine, as the water buffalo (their primary source of beef) would have instead be viewed as a working animal used in farming.

Main Recipe

Phở Gà Recipe

(Vietnamese Chicken Phở)

This recipe has been adapted from HungryHuy.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10min. Cook Time: 1hr. / 5hr. Total Time: 1hr. 10min. / 5hr. 10min.

Ingredients

Aromatics

2 medium white or yellow onions roasted
20g fresh ginger roasted

Spices

2Tbsp coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick approximately 2 inches
2 star anise pods

Soup

1 whole chicken cut in half
16cups water
2 1/2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp MSG* or 2 Tbsp vegetarian seasoning optional

Noodles

16 oz (1 pack) dried pho noodles small noodle thickness

Accoutrements

bean sprouts blanched preferred
Thai basil
lemon sliced into wedges
ngo gai (culantro**, aka Mexican coriander leaves) optional
sliced jalapenos optional
hoisin sauce
Sriracha

Directions

Aromatics and Spices:

On a sheet pan, roast the aromatics in the middle rack of an oven on 375°F to 400°F for 15-30 minutes or until dark brown but not blackened.
Wrap the spices in foil and bake 350°F for 5 minutes (or roast on a pan medium heat until lightly browned and aromatic).

Phở Gà:

Add the aromatics, spices, and all soup ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Once it hits a boil, lower the heat to maintain a low boil and cook the chicken for 25-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through. You can use a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reads 165°F (or the juices run clear when you cut into the deepest part of the chicken).
Remove the chicken once done and rinse under cold water for one minute to cool. This will prevent the chicken from getting dark. Once the chicken has cooled, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions only just before you're ready to serve it. Cooking the noodles usually takes about 5 minutes after boiling the water.
To assemble, start with portioning the noodles into a bowl, and then add the soup, shredded chicken, and accoutrements on top. The proportions of this entire recipe is purely a personalized one, but check the photo below as a guide.

*MSG is a flavor enhancer that adds a savory undertone to foods, often referred to ad the fifth taste, to go along with the sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It is naturally occurring in tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheeses, among other things. Artificially, it has been around since 1908. Scientific and historical evidence seem to deny any truth to widespread MSG allergies and instead pointing to its originating with a hoax letter to the New England Journal of Medicine in April of 1968 preying off of anti-Asian and anti-foreign sentiment that then became culturally psychosomatic leading to the widely held misconception on the danger of the ingredient that has persisted to this day despite being even more widely disproven. This isn't to say that true sensitivities don't exist, but they are rare. If you believe you do have this condition, then a regimen of avoidance, antihistamines and medical attention are advised.

**Not to be confused with cilantro