Pork and Shrimp Bánh canh

A thick, silky broth coating chewy noodles. The pork hock turns melt-in-your-mouth tender while shrimp provide a firm, briny snap.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 90 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1161
• Protein: 70 g
• Carbs: 93 g
• Fat: 55 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Pork hock ( cut into large chunks )
• 300 g Shrimp ( peeled )
• 400 g Wide rice noodles (ho fun) ( dry )
• 2.5 L Mineral water
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 piece Onion ( peeled and whole )
• 3 piece Garlic ( crushed )
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika
• 2 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse ( thinly sliced )
• 1 piece Fresh cilantro ( leaves only )
• 2 tbsp Fried onions
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 tbsp Annatto seeds ( infused in oil then removed )

Instructions

1. Blanch the pork

   Plunge the pork hock into boiling water for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Rinse with clear water until the meat is clean to the touch.

2. Start the broth

   In a large pot, cover the hock with mineral water. Add the onion and garlic. Simmer over low heat. The broth should remain simmering, without large bubbles, to stay clear.

3. Season and color

   Heat the oil with the annatto seeds until it turns bright red. Remove the seeds, then add the paprika to perfect the color. Pour this colored oil into the broth with the fish sauce and brown sugar.

4. Cook shrimp and noodles

   Add the shrimp and wide rice noodles directly into the broth. The noodles will absorb the liquid and thicken the soup thanks to their starch.

5. Finishing touches

   As soon as the noodles are tender and the broth is thickened, serve steaming hot. Sprinkle with sliced green onion, cilantro, and fried onions for crunch.

Chef's tips

• Never let the broth reach a rolling boil after blanching the meat, or it will turn cloudy.
• If the broth isn't thick enough for your liking, dissolve a bit of tapioca in cold water and stir it in at the end.

Storage

Store the broth and noodles separately if possible, as the noodles will continue to soak up the liquid. Keeps for 2 days in the fridge.