Classic Pho

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Preheat: °	Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 0:15	Wait: 0:00	Cook: 0:00

Ingredients

1 large onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled and quartered
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger
3 quarts water
1 pound leeks (1 1/2 large), tough ends cut away, halved lengthwise, cleaned and cut in thick slices
2 medium turnips (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut in wedges
1 pound carrots (3 large), peeled and sliced thick
2 ounces mushroom stems (from about 8 ounces mushrooms), or 4 dried shiitakes
1 head of garlic, cut in half
2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, smashed with the side of a knife, and sliced
Salt to taste
1 to 1 ½ tablespoons sugar (to taste), preferably raw brown sugar
6 star anise pods
5 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam), to taste (optional)

Pho

3/4 pound wide rice noodles
3 shallots, sliced paper-thin, separated into rings and soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, then drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Asian or purple basil leaves, slivered
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
Several sprigs fresh mint
2 cups mung bean sprouts
2 to 4 bird or serrano chilies, finely chopped (to taste)
3 to 4 limes, cut in wedges

Scorch the onion and ginger by holding the pieces above a flame with tongs, or in a dry frying pan if using an electric stove. Turn the pieces until they are scorched black in places on all sides. Slice the ginger lengthwise.
Combine the scorched onion and ginger with the water, leeks, turnips, carrots, mushroom stems or dried shiitakes, garlic, lemon grass, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the soup. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the fish sauce if using, and simmer for another hour (2 hours total, with or without the fish sauce). Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.

Pho

Have the broth at a simmer in a soup pot.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook until just al dente, firm to the bite, following the timing instructions on the package (my wide noodles take about 5 minutes). Drain and divide among 6 large soup bowls. Ladle in a generous amount of hot broth. Sprinkle on half the cilantro, the shallots, half the basil leaves and the green onions. Pass the bean sprouts, chopped chilies, the remaining basil and cilantro, mint sprigs and the lime wedges. Serve with chopsticks for the noodles and soup spoons for the broth.

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