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Anne Hy
By Anne Hy

smoky summer pho and broth

CHARRED EGGPLANT, TOMATOES, SWEET PEPPERS Cooking an eggplant over the open flame of a gas burner is a revelation, producing a silky, succulent texture and a bold, smoky flavor. It can make a small mess, sure—it helps to line the drip pan under your burner with aluminum foil—but the cooking time is less than 10 minutes. In this simple bowl of pho, the eggplant is cut into long strips that integrate into the noodles, and it fully infuses the broth. At the farmers’ market, I often find sweet, baby bell peppers, and I like to julienne those and add them raw to this bowl for crunch. A similarly sweet, ripe bell pepper of any color will work much the same way
Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 20:36:09 GMT

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Instructions

Step 1
• Preheat the broiler. Arrange the onions and ginger on a foil-lined baking sheet. Once the broiler is hot, broil the vegetables close to the heat source until charred all over, flipping them with tongs as needed. Remove the onions if they cook more quickly than the ginger, or vice versa. • Alternatively, char the onions and ginger over the open flame of a gas burner, turning them periodically, until blackened all over. This will need to be done in a few batches. • Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the leeks, carrots, daikon, garlic, lemongrass, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. Stir to coat in the oil, then cover and cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant and the colors of the vegetables are vibrant. Coarsely chop the charred ginger, then add it, the onions, and the mushrooms to the pot and cover with cold water; you’ll need about 4 quarts. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour, at which point the broth should be strongly flavored. Add the cilantro stems and cook for another 5 minutes. • Strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, in batches as necessary, gathering up the ends of the cheesecloth so as to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Once completely cooled, pack in containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or in the freezer for up to 2 months
Step 2
•Place the pho broth in a pot and heat to a simmer. Stir in the sugar and salt and taste, adjusting the seasonings as necessary. Keep covered off the heat, then bring back to a bare simmer just before serving.
Step 3
•Cook the eggplants over the flame of a gas burner: It works best to set a metal cooling rack—one that can bear a few blemishes—directly on top of the grate, then turn the flame to high and set the eggplants directly in the flame. Use heat-safe tongs to turn them periodically, cooking until blistered all over and limp, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants.(Alternatively, preheat a broiler to high. Arrange the eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place close to the heat source and broil for 15 to 20 minutes, carefully turning with tongs periodically, until blistered all over and limp.) Transfer to a colander to drain as you proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Step 4
•Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the noodles in a strainer basket or the strainer insert that comes with your stockpot, if you have one, and cook until tender, usually 4 to 7 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Lift out the noodles and thoroughly rinse under cold running water in order to remove excess starch. Quickly dunk them back into the hot water to reheat. Divide among four bowls.
Step 5
•Gently peel the skin off the eggplants—it should come off easily, in patches and strips—then tear or cut the flesh into long, thin, noodle-like pieces. Divide the eggplant over the noodles, then top each serving with the tomatoes and bell peppers.
Step 6
•Ladle the pho broth over the noodles and vegetables in each bowl. Sprinkle each serving with the minced chili and serve immediately, passing the herbs, chili oil, ginger, and lime wedges as accompaniments at the table.
Step 7
VARIATION If your cherry tomatoes are subpar, you can quickly blister them in a skillet to concentrate their flavor and make them sweeter. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil and, once hot, add the tomatoes, spreading them out in a single layer. Cook, shaking the pan periodically, until they blister and start to pop, which will take 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

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