Kyay Oh

Ingredients

Broth

• 1 kgpork bones
• 2.5 litreswater
• 1onion, halved
• 6garlic cloves
• 3cm ginger, sliced
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 tablespoonwhite peppercorns

Pork

• 300 gminced pork
• 200 gpork liver, sliced thin
• 200 gpork intestine, cleaned, optional
• 150 gpork balls or fish balls

Noodles and garnish

• 400 gfresh egg noodles or rice vermicelli
• 200 gbean sprouts
• 4quail eggs, boiled, per bowl
• 4 tablespoonsfried garlic in its oil
• 3spring onions, sliced
• a handful of coriander
• fried pork crackling

On the table

• fish sauce
• dried chilli flakes
• lime wedges
• chilli oil

Directions

1. Put the pork bones in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil and let it bubble for five minutes. Drain and discard that water entirely. Rinse the bones under cold running water. Wash the pot before continuing. Making the broth takes about ninety minutes. Return the clean bones to the clean pot. Add the fresh water and bring it toward a simmer.
2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and peppercorns. Add the salt to the pot as well. Never let it boil hard at any point. Keep it at a bare tremble the whole time. Skim the surface every twenty minutes. Simmer it for at least ninety minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve. Discard the bones and aromatics. The broth should be pale and clear.
3. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper. White pepper should come through clearly. Soak the slices in cold water for twenty minutes. Rinse them and then pat them dry. Intestine needs thorough cleaning if you use it. Turn it inside out and rub it with salt and flour.
4. Rinse it repeatedly until it smells clean. Then boil it separately for an hour until tender. Leave it out entirely if you prefer. Season the minced pork lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Slice a whole head of garlic thinly. Fry it in oil over a low heat. Stir it constantly as it colours. Take it off the heat when it is pale gold. It keeps browning in the hot oil afterwards. Keep both the garlic and the oil. Cooking each bowl is done to order.
6. Bring a portion of the broth to a simmer. Traditionally this is done in a small copper pot. Add the pork mince and cook it for two minutes. Add the pork balls and the cooked intestine.
7. Add the liver slices last of all. Liver needs only about forty seconds. Add a handful of bean sprouts at the very end. Cook the noodles in a separate pan of water. Never cook them in the broth itself. Drain them well and put them in the bowl. Put the drained noodles in the bottom of a bowl.
8. Spoon a little garlic oil over them and toss. Ladle the hot broth and its meat over the top. Add the boiled quail eggs to it. Scatter fried garlic, spring onion and coriander. Add a piece of crisp pork crackling. Serving it is done immediately. Put fish sauce, chilli and lime on the table. A dry version is also sold at most shops.

Technique

• Kyay oh shops in Myanmar usually offer both a soup version and a dry version, with the broth served on the side.
• The copper pot the dish is named after is used to cook each portion individually.

Substitutions

• The offal can be left out entirely for a simpler bowl.
• Chicken bones make an acceptable broth, though pork is traditional.

Variations

• The dry version tosses the noodles in sauce with the broth alongside.
• Some shops add a raw egg cracked into the hot broth.
• A seafood version with prawns and squid is sold in coastal towns.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kyay Oh?

Kyay Oh is a soup & stew from Myanmar: clear pork and offal noodle soup, cooked to order in a copper pot.

How long does Kyay Oh take to make?

Kyay Oh takes 30 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kyay Oh?

Yes, within limits. The offal can be left out entirely for a simpler bowl. Chicken bones make an acceptable broth, though pork is traditional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kyay Oh?

Add the onion, garlic, ginger and peppercorns. Add the salt to the pot as well. Never let it boil hard at any point. Keep it at a bare tremble the whole time. Skim the surface every twenty minutes. Simmer it for at least ninety minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve. Discard the bones and aromatics. The broth should be pale and clear.