Kouteav Phnom Penh - Phnom Penh Noodle Soup

Each Asian country has its specialty for noodle soup. For Cambodia, the Koutiao Phnom Penh is its signature, famous across Asia and elsewhere. Learn this tour-de-main with teacher Socheata who prepared this recipe for us in two-hour. For a large pot (10 persons)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 liters of water
• 2 carrots
• 1 turnip
• 2-3 dried cuttlefishes
• 1.5 pound of ground lean pork belly
• 2 pounds of pork ribs
• 1 pound shrimps
• 2 pounds fried fish balls
• 2 tbsp salted preserved vegetables (kachai)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
• 2 pounds soya bean sprouts
• salt, pork flavor broth mix
• Lettuce
• 3 pounds of fresh rice noodle for Pho (choose the medium flat ones)
• or 2 pounds of dried rice noodle for Pho, to be soaked in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes before its use, then drain well
• A sauce composed of soy sauce, oil and fried garlic

Preparation

1. Fill the pot with water (to 2/3 of the rim) and bring to a boil
2. add the cuttlefishes, the carrots and turnip as well as the stems of the cilantro
3. Cut the pork ribs into 2.5 inches section and add to the soup
4. Add the pork flavor broth mix and let the soup simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours (the more you simmer, the tastier is the soup)
5. Skim the soup and remove the fat into another pan that will be left at low heat
6. Meanwhile prepare the components of the soup:
7. Blanch the shrimps and set aside
8. Stir-fry the ground pork (no added oil), and season with salt, pork flavor broth mix (1 tbs) and pepper. Set aside
9. Slice the cilantro and the spring onions
10. Prepare the rice fresh noodles in disentangling the sticks.
11. If you are using the dried noodles, drain them from the water.

Serving

1. When guests are at the table, prepare the soup one bowl at a time
2. Bring to boil the soup and add the fish balls
3. Bring to rolling boil the second pan of the soup. There should be enough soup to cook a ladle of noodle. If not, add water and season with pork flavor broth mix
4. Take a portion of noodle (about a fist) and cook in the second pan for about 2 minutes until cooked for the fresh noodles; you may need another minute for the soaked dried noodles
5. Put two leaves of lettuce in the bowl and set the cooked noodle in the bowl
6. Garnish the bowl with two tbsp of fried pork, 2-3 shrimps, 1-2 fishballs, the cilantro and spring onions, the soya bean sprouts
7. Add a tsp of soy sauce, fried garlic
8. The bowl is ready for those who wish to eat it "dry"(kok). A separate small bowl with broth will be served along.
9. For those who wish the noodle with the broth, add two-three ladles of soup to the large bowl.

Serve immediately. On the table, we would offer soy sauce, chili sauce (Sriracha, but only the original one produced in Thailand) as well as the Hoisin Sauce (Oyster sauce) with additional soya bean sprouts, spring onions and cilantro for those who wish more garnish.