Very Vietnamese

Everyone has their own special comfort food, a particular dish that not only nourishes but improves your mood.

Everyone has ‘that’ dish. For me, being Vietnamese nothing really beats a bowl of Pho (pronounced ‘fur’) to warm my soul.  For those who don’t know - ‘Pho’ is beef noodle soup. Some say its name derives from the French ‘pot au feu’ (pot of fire), others surmise that it’s from the Chinese ‘fen’ meaning rice noodles. Perhaps there may be a little truth in both given Vietnam has had a long history of both foreign influences, particularly from the Chinese (the use of chopsticks, stir fry and soy sauce) and the French (butter, baguettes and coffee).

I wish I could give you my recipe for Pho but it’s not quite that simple. Firstly, Pho is not great in small quantities. Secondly, it is a labour of love that is really time consuming (at least 2-3 hours for a decent stock pot). If you really need a Pho recipe I suggest Rick Stein’s from his book and BBC series ‘Far Eastern Odyssey’ (although I would omit celery from the broth) or otherwise try Uyen Luu’s Beef Pho recipe at www.leluu.com.

Where to find a decent bowl of Pho? Rule of thumb is to find a busy restaurant as this usually means fresher ingredients and preferably one that serves it with the proper garnishes (bean sprouts, asian basil, wedge of lime/lemon and fresh chilli). For true Vietnamese fare one has to venture out to Kingsland Rd in Shoreditch where there are a variety of good places to choose from. Song Que is always busy and the food arrives fast and furious but the decor isn’t great.  Mien Tay has better decor but when the place is heaving the kitchen can sometimes struggle. Having said that, Mien Tay in Battersea is my firm local favourite and always delivers no-fuss good food packed with flavour.

So whilst I can’t share a Pho recipe with you, I do have the recipe for ‘Shaking beef’ - Bo Luc Lac (pronounced ‘look luck’). It’s the Vietnamese answer to steak and is said to be inspired by the French. It’s called shaking beef because you shake the beef (surprise surprise) in a pan over high heat. It’s dead easy and a hit for husband and kids alike in my house.  This is my recipe:

Bo Luc Lac (serves 4)

• 2-3 garlic cloves chopped finely (use 3 if you like garlic)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 400g of beef sirloin (beef fillet is better if you can afford it)

1. Combine garlic, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and vegetable oil in a large bowl to make the marinade.
2. Cut the beef into 1cm (1/2inch) cubes and add to the marinade. Toss evenly to ensure the meat is well coated. Set aside to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and quickly stir-fry for about 3 minutes until charred on the edges and just cooked (if you like steak medium rare) or leave a little longer (if you usually like your steak medium to well done). Just before you take it off the heat, add a dollop of salted butter (if you aren’t counting calories).

Crack some pepper over the beef and serve with steamed rice.

Good luck and enjoy! Let me know how you fare.

For those inspired, Jamie Oliver Recipease in Clapham Junction runs Vietnamese Street Food cooking course that includes Pho and summer rolls. For further details visit www.jamieoliver.com/recipease. Otherwise blogger and supper club extraordinaire Uyen Luu runs amazing Vietnamese cookery classes from her home in North London visit www.leluu.com.

For my pick of Vietnamese restaurants: locally Mien Tay in Battersea or slightly further afield Saigon Saigon in Hammersmith.