This is billed as "Asian-style chicken soup" in the cookbook. But, looking at it, it's basically a simplified pho. You start with chicken stock and enrich it with green onions, ginger, fish sauce, cloves, star anise, and chile and then poach a couple of chicken breasts and some bok choy in it. The chicken then gets sliced and placed in a bowl with some rice noodles which the broth then gets ladeled over. Cilantro, green onions, basil, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, sliced chilies¹, hoisin sauce, and lime wedges are passed at the table for people to adjust their soup to their taste.

I had a chicken carcass on hand, so I just made my chicken stock from scratch. I didn't measure my stock. I just added enough water to cover the carcass and added some carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, dried mushrooms, a dried chile, and a splash of soy sauce. I would have put some celery if we'd had any, but we didn't so I just rolled without it. Because I was making my own stock from scratch and without any added salt (except what was in the soy sauce) I didn't add the water called for in the recipe. (Besides, I think I probably had more than the requisite 8 c. of stock anyway.) If you're using commercial stock though, you'll probably want to add the water to avoid an excessively salty final broth.

Chicken Pho

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 8 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. water
• 1 bunch green onions, divided
• 5cm fresh ginger (or 1 Tbsp. ginger paste)
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 whole star anise
• ~500g skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 4 heads baby bok choy, chopped
• ~200g dry rice noodles
• fresh Thai chilies, thinly sliced
• fresh cilantro
• Thai basil
• bean sprouts
• peanuts, toasted and chopped
• lime wedges
• hoisin sauce

Directions

1. Combine the stock and water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reserve one of the green onions and set aside for later. Cut the remaining green onions into thirds and add them to the pot.
3. Add the ginger, fish sauce, sugar, cloves, and star anise to the pot as well.
4. Add the chicken, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
5. Strain the broth and return to the pot.
6. Return to a simmer, add the bok choy, and cook until tender.
7. Meanwhile, slice the chicken breasts and cook the rice noodles according to package directions.
8. Place some noodles in each bowl and put a few slices of chicken breast on top.
9. Ladel some broth and bok choy over the noodles.
10. Chop the reserved green onion.
11. Put the chilies, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime wedges on a plate and pass at the table for people to dress their soup as they see fit.
12. Drizzle with hoisin if desired.

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¹ Omitted this time since Reiver can't eat them. ^Back

Haleem (Minty Beef with Cracked Wheat and Lentils)

This was a while ago. Do I remember any details of the meal? I do not, except that it was tasty.

The recipe as written calls for cracked wheat and a lengthy pre-soak period. We made it with extra coarse bulgur and skipped the pre-soak, with good results. Note that even if you're making it with bulgur, there's still a long marination phase for the meat -- start early!

Haleem

660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer (p. 175)

Ingredients

• 450g stewing beef
• 30mL ginger paste
• 1mL garlic paste
• 120mL moong dal (skinned split green lentils)
• 120mL masoor dal (skinned split brown lentils)
• 120mL extra coarse bulgur
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 60mL canola oil
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 8-10 fresh green Thai chilis, stems removed, bisected lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1½ tsp Kashmiri garam masala
• 120mL finely chopped fresh mint
• 120mL finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine beef, ginger paste, and garlic paste in a bowl. Toss until coated, then refrigerate, covered, for 6-8 hours.
2. Rinse the lentils, if needed.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the lentils (drained), bulgur, and 1L water.
4. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Skim off foam.
5. Stir in turmeric, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and bulgur are tender, 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom pods. Cook until they crackle and the cinnamon swells, ~30 seconds.
8. Add chilis and onion. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until the onion has released its liquid and begins to brown, 15-20 minutes.
9. Uncover and stir-fry until the onion is reddish-brown with purple highlights, 5-10 minutes.
10. Add the beef cubes and marinade. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the meat browns, 12-15 minutes.
11. Add 240mL water and the garam masala and bring to a boil.
12. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.
13. Add the lentil-bulgur mix and their liquid. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavours mingle, 10-15 minutes.
14. Remove from heat, stir in the mint and cilantro, and serve.

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