Ingredients
Broth
- 1.5 kgpork bones, preferably neck and leg
- 500 gpork shoulder, whole
- 2dried squid, or 30 g dried shrimp
- 200 gdaikon
- 1onion, charred
- a thumb of ginger, charred
- 3 litreswater
- 2 tbsprock sugar
- 3 tbspfish sauce
- salt
Noodles
- 400 ghu tieu dai, chewy tapioca noodles
- or flat rice noodles
Toppings
- 200 gprawns, peeled
- 200 gminced pork
- 4quail eggs, boiled
- sliced pork liver, optional
- fried shallots
- fried garlic oil
Herbs and greens
- beansprouts
- garlic chives, he
- celery leaves
- coriander
- lettuce
- lime wedges
- sliced chilli
To serve
- as canh, with broth, or kho, dry with broth on the side
Directions
- Toast the dried squid briefly over a flame or in a dry pan until it smells strongly. Parboil the pork bones in boiling water for five to ten minutes, then drain and rinse each one under running water.
- Wash the pot out before starting the broth properly. Now char the onion and ginger directly over a flame until blackened in patches. Add the cleaned bones, pork shoulder, toasted squid, daikon, charred onion and ginger and cover with water.
- Keep it at the barest simmer with the surface barely trembling, and never let it boil. Skim the surface diligently for the first thirty minutes. Lift the pork shoulder out after about an hour, once it is cooked, and let it cool before slicing thinly.
- Season the broth with rock sugar, fish sauce and salt. Rock sugar gives a rounder sweetness than granulated, and the broth should be faintly sweet, which is characteristic of southern Vietnamese cooking.
- Strain the finished broth through a fine sieve or muslin. Hu tieu mem are soft flat rice noodles, closer to what pho uses, and are also traditional. Cook them separately in plenty of boiling water and rinse them. Cook the noodles only when you are ready to serve, since they turn soft and gluey within minutes of standing.
- Poach the prawns briefly until they just turn opaque, and cook the minced pork with a little garlic and fish sauce. Boil the quail eggs and peel them. Fry sliced garlic gently in oil until pale gold, then take it off the heat immediately. Fried shallots are scattered over as well, and both should be prepared in advance.
- Put the noodles in the bowl, arrange the pork, prawns, mince and eggs over the top, and ladle boiling broth over. The broth must be at a rolling boil when it is ladled, since it is what heats everything in the bowl.
- Spoon over the garlic oil and scatter the fried shallots and herbs. For the dry version, toss the noodles with a spoonful of the seasoned sauce, soy, garlic oil and a little broth, and serve the broth in a separate bowl. Serve beansprouts, garlic chives, lime and chilli on a plate alongside for people to add themselves.
Technique
- It came to Vietnam with Teochew Chinese communities and is shared across the region.
- The broth is pork and dried seafood based, unlike pho’s spiced beef broth.
- The dry version, kho, is as popular in Saigon as the soup.
Substitutions
- Dried shrimp in place of dried squid.
- Flat rice noodles in place of chewy tapioca noodles.
Variations
- Hu tieu Nam Vang, the Phnom Penh style with offal and quail eggs.
- Hu tieu kho, served dry with broth on the side.
- Hu tieu My Tho, from the Mekong Delta.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hu Tieu?
Hu Tieu is a soup & stew from Vietnam: southern pork-and-seafood noodle soup, served clear or dry.
How long does Hu Tieu take to make?
Hu Tieu takes 40 min of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Hu Tieu?
Yes, within limits. Dried shrimp in place of dried squid. Flat rice noodles in place of chewy tapioca noodles.
What is the most important thing to get right in Hu Tieu?
Keep it at the barest simmer with the surface barely trembling, and never let it boil. Skim the surface diligently for the first thirty minutes. Lift the pork shoulder out after about an hour, once it is cooked, and let it cool before slicing thinly.
