Khao Soi
Ingredients
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2 large (6 oz total) shallots, quartered, peelings and trimmings reserved
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18 clove garlic cloves, peelings and trimmings reserved
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11⁄2 oz daikon radish, peeled and cut into large pieces (about 1⁄2 cup), peelings and trimmings reserved
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1 (1⁄2 oz) lemongrass stalk, cut into small pieces (about 1⁄4 cup), tough outer leaves and trimmings reserved
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1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
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1 small (4 oz) white onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup), peelings and trimmings reserved
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1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
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1 lb ground pork
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12 cups, plus 2 Tbs water, divided
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1⁄2 cup soybean paste
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11⁄2 Tbs red pepper powder
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1 Tbs paprika
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1 Tbs palm sugar
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1 Tbs granulated sugar
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1⁄2 tsp black pepper
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1⁄2 tsp black pepper
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41⁄2 Tbs fish sauce, divided
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1⁄2 cup galangal, peeled and grated with microplane grater
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1 32-oz pkg fresh rice noodles or 1 lb dried rice noodles
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1 Tbs kosher salt
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Garnishes: mint leaves, cilantro leaves, thinly sliced green onion, and halved lengthwise beech mushrooms
Directions
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Pulse shallots in a food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Transfer shallots to a bowl, and set aside.
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Pulse garlic in food processor until finely chopped, about 6 pulses. Transfer to a separate bowl, and set aside. Pulse radish and lemongrass in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a separate bowl, and set aside.
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Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion and reserved shallots; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved garlic; cook, stirring often, until onion and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved radish-lemongrass mixture; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
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Add ground pork; cook, stirring constantly, until pork is broken into small pieces, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the water. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring often, until pork is no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
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Add soybean paste, red pepper powder, paprika, palm sugar, granulated sugar, black pepper, and 11⁄2 tablespoons of the fish sauce, stirring until evenly combined. Increase heat to medium; cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in grated galangal. Cover pork sauce, and keep warm using residual heat from burner.
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During final 10 minutes of pork sauce cooking, bring remaining 12 cups water in a large saucepan to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium; add rice noodles, stirring once, until softened, 30 to 40 seconds for fresh noodles or 2 to 3 minutes for dried noodles. (If using dried noodles, soak in warm water for 10 minutes before boiling noodles.) Transfer noodles to a colander using a slotted spoon, and drain well; reserve cooking water in saucepan.
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Place noodles in a large bowl; cover with cold water, and set aside. Add reserved shallot, garlic, radish, lemongrass, and onion peelings and trimmings to cooking water in saucepan; add salt and remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding solids.
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Drain reserved noodles. Divide noodles evenly among 6 bowls (about 11⁄3 cups each). Top evenly with pork sauce (about 3⁄4 cup each), and add about 12⁄3 cups broth to each bowl; garnish with mint, cilantro, green onion, and mushrooms.