Uyen Luu

Phở  Xào
Adapted recipe, originally written for Guardian Feast.

‘Phở’ means flat rice noodles. ‘Xào’ means to fry.  You can use an array of vegetables that are available to hand or in season. Here I am using Jerusalem artichokes and sugar snap peas but you can use any crunchy vegetable, sliced not too thick and not too thin. If you can’t get celery leaves or not a fan, please use Thai basil or coriander instead.

The photo recipe is without beef. The written recipe is with beef but please feel free not to use beef.

If you are, please try to use grass fed, free range beef only as I feel really strongly against industrial corn fed beef farming. (Cows are not meant to eat corn, they are supposed to eat grass. When they eat corn, they are really sick and yet this is how we produce industrial beef) If you can not get hold of it, please don’t use beef and substitute with tofu or leave them both out.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• For the Stir Fry
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 250 g free-range, grass fed sirloin or rump or rump tip sliced into 1cm thick strips
• 100 g sugarsnap peas, sliced lengthways (or mange tout, courgette slices)
• 50g celery leaves and tips
• 70g Jerusalem artichoke, peeled, thinly sliced (optional)
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 ladles of pho stock, white wine, beef stock or water
• 2 pinch of black pepper
• 3 garlic clove, sliced
• 400 g fresh rice noodles, separated or rehydrated dry noodles, cooked aldente
• 80 g beansprouts
• Thai basil garnish (optional)
• Coriander garnish (optional)

METHOD

1. Slice the beef and marinade with 1 tbs of oyster sauce and 1 tbs of soy sauce, black pepper and garlic. Prep the vegetables.
2. Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat until very hot, then fry the steak for a minute before adding Jerusalem artichoke, sugar snap peas and celery leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce, 1 tablespoons of the soy sauce, a dash of leftover pho stock  for a couple of minutes or until the steak is cooked as you like it. Season with black pepper.   Transfer the contents of the pan onto a plate and allow to rest.
3. Heat another dash of oil in the same pan again, then stir-fry the onion for a minute. Add the noodles and the remaining oyster and soy sauces. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the beansprouts and a dash more leftover pho stock. Stir-fry for a further minute. Transfer onto serving plates with the beef and vegetables. Serve immediately with Thai basil or coriander garnish.