SHOPPING LIST: Cooking Skills: Noodles 2, Chapter 2 (Vietnamese Noodle Soups)

Onions, fresh ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander seeds, chicken stock, vegetable stock, beef brisket or shin, dried shiitake mushrooms, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, flat rice noodles, rice vermicelli, cooked chicken, firm tofu, pork mince, a shallot, garlic, a round lettuce, a cucumber, carrots, Thai basil, coriander, mint, limes, chilli, spring onions and rice vinegar. Check labels for fish, soy and wheat.

Quick chicken pho (2 portions)
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 7 cm fresh ginger, halved lengthways
[ ] 2 star anise
[ ] 1 cinnamon stick
[ ] 3 cloves
[ ] 1.2 litres good chicken stock
[ ] 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
[ ] 1 tsp sugar
[ ] 200 g flat rice noodles (about 3 mm wide)
[ ] 150 g cooked chicken, shredded
[ ] 1 handful Thai basil, coriander and mint leaves
[ ] 1 lime, in wedges
[ ] 1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
[ ] 2 spring onions, sliced

Beef pho with simmered brisket (3 portions)
[ ] 400 g beef brisket or shin, in one piece
[ ] 1.5 litres water or beef stock
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 7 cm fresh ginger, halved
[ ] 2 star anise
[ ] 1 cinnamon stick
[ ] 1 tsp coriander seeds
[ ] 3 cloves
[ ] 2 tbsp fish sauce
[ ] 1 tbsp sugar
[ ] 200 g flat rice noodles
[ ] 1 handful Thai basil, coriander and mint
[ ] 1 lime, in wedges
[ ] 2 spring onions, sliced

Vegetable pho (2 portions)
[ ] 1 onion, halved
[ ] 7 cm fresh ginger, halved
[ ] 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
[ ] 2 star anise
[ ] 1 cinnamon stick
[ ] 3 cloves
[ ] 1.2 litres vegetable stock
[ ] 2 tbsp soy sauce
[ ] 1 tsp sugar
[ ] 200 g flat rice noodles
[ ] 200 g firm tofu, cubed and pan-fried
[ ] 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
[ ] 1 handful herbs, lime and spring onions to serve

Grilled pork and vermicelli bowl (3 portions)
[ ] 300 g pork mince
[ ] 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
[ ] 2 garlic cloves, crushed
[ ] 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
[ ] 1 tbsp sugar
[ ] 1 tsp black pepper
[ ] 150 g rice vermicelli
[ ] 1 round lettuce, leaves separated
[ ] ½ cucumber, in matchsticks
[ ] 1 handful mint, coriander and Thai basil
[ ] 3 tbsp lime juice, for the dipping sauce
[ ] 2 tbsp fish sauce, for the dipping sauce
[ ] 2 tbsp sugar, for the dipping sauce
[ ] 4 tbsp water, for the dipping sauce
[ ] 1 carrot, in matchsticks, quick-pickled in 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp sugar for 30 minutes

For the experiments
[ ] Extra stock, onion and ginger
[ ] Extra spices for the toasting test