The worst feeling in the world is feeling stomach sick, I think. Okay, maybe not the worst feeling. But it’s no fun. Not wanting to eat is also bad, as I experienced recently while away on a work trip. Lying in bed for a day with my knees elevated to relieve the pressure on my stomach was unpleasant, to say the least. Forcing water into myself was also not great. And the one clementine I managed to get down and half a rice cake – those were trials.
Trials of what? Determination. I think of sickness as something that needs to be beaten. And when my only weapon is food, which is ineffective, it’s easy to feel hopeless.
The second worst feeling in the world is cooking for someone and potentially making them sick. I made dinner last night for friends and one of them was stomach sick. I had some gurgles in my belly, but I wasn’t ill like she was. The chicken wasn’t past its prime. It smelled okay. Everything else – quinoa, carrots, bok choy – was cooked. I washed the ginger and green onions before dunking them into rice wine vinegar, mustard and olive oil for the dressing.
So how did she get sick? Who knows. But I’m on dinner duty again tonight, and if she feels up to eating, I want to make it something she’ll be easily able to digest.
Which brings me to soup. And the ultimate comfort for me is rice or noodle soup. Preferably pho’. Broth, vegetables, a little starch.
This is the recipe I learned in Vietnam, when I was staying in an Airbnb in District II, except easier. Instead of making the broth, I buy it and add chicken thighs to enrich it. Pho’ for busy people.
Vietnamese Pho Ga Chicken Noodle Soup
serves 4-6
12 cups chicken broth (look for gluten free, MSG-free, low sodium)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 four-inch knobs of ginger
5 shallots
2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce, or more to taste (no MSG, colorants, caramel, wheat, or preservatives), optional
1 heaping tbsp rock sugar or palm sugar or demarara sugar
10 green onions
1 small bunch cilantro
8 leaves fresh kaffir lime (or the peel of one organic lime)
1 package dry pho’ noodles (the package should say pho’. It’s thinner than a pad thai noodle, but also flat and long)
2 limes, cut in wedges
20 leaves sweet basil, optional
black or white pepper
Directions
Blacken the ginger (leave the skin on) and unpeeled shallots in the oven by placing them in a baking dish and placing them under the oven broiler set to low. Set the timer for 5 minutes and rotate them so they blacken evenly. Repeat every 5 minutes. They’re done when they’re softened to the touch, and the shallots start releasing sweet juices. The ginger may take longer than the shallots.
Remove from the oven and rinse the shallots in cool water to remove the outer skin. When cool enough to handle, whack the ginger with the blunt side of a cleaver of chef’s knife. Slice in half lengthwise, then into 1/4″ slices widthwise (like thick quarters). Tear the shallots into pieces.
Add the ginger and shallots to a large pot along with the chicken broth, chicken thighs and rock sugar. You can put the shallots and ginger in a cheesecloth along with the cilantro stems if you want, or just put them directly into the broth (cilantro stems optional).
When the pot with the whole chicken comes to a boil skim any scum that rises. Reduce the pot to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, or until a chopstick inserted in the underside of the thigh goes in easily (or use a meat thermometre).
Meanwhile, remove cilantro leaves from stems. Snip leaves in half with scissors and then set aside for garnish. You can put the stems in a cheesecloth as the shallots and ginger when you add them above,
Slice the dark green parts of the green onions into 1-inch lengths and set aside. Then finely hop the white and pale green parts.
Add the fish sauce and a pinch of salt to the pot of chicken. Stir, then remove the chicken to a bowl and when cool enough to handle, separate into large pieces by hand or shred with two forks.
You can keep simmering the broth for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to intensify the flavour, or serve it right away. Add more fish sauce, sugar or salt to taste.
Meanwhile, soften the noodles by bringing them to a boil in a large pot of water and simmering them for about 4 minutes. Check to make sure they’re done, then drain them and divide the noodles between 4 or more bowls. Place the shredded chicken on top.
Lay the kaffir lime leaves one on top the other and roll up into a cigar. Slice thinly (chiffonade them) with a knife or scissors into thin slices. Add a little of that to the bowl of chicken along with some cilantro leaves. Pour the hot broth over top and add more cilantro.
Optional: Make little dipping bowls of chiffonaded kaffir lime, pepper and salt and squeeze in some lime juice to make a dipping sauce for the chicken pieces. Let each person take basil and tear it into their soup while the broth is steaming hot. Dip the chicken pieces into the dipping sauce and then eat some noodles and a spoonful of broth (you need a good chopstick-spoon combo to do this well).
Feel better.
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