Pho

Pho Bo

For the broth:

5 pounds beef marrow or knuckle bones

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 pieces

2 3-inch pieces ginger, halved lengthwise and lightly bruised with the flat side of a knife

2 yellow onions, peeled

1/4 cup fish sauce, plus more to taste

3 ounces rock sugar or 3 tablespoons sugar

10 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan

6 whole cloves, lightly toasted in a dry pan

2 cinnamon sticks
2 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons fennel seeds.

1 tablespoon sea salt

For the soup:

1 pound dried rice sticks, 1/16 inch wide

1/3 pound beef sirloin, slightly frozen, then sliced paper thin across the grain

For the garnish:

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 pound bean sprouts

10 sprigs Thai basil

1 dozen saw-leaf herb leaves (optional)

6 Thai bird chilies or 1 Serrano chili, very thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Freshly ground black pepper.

1. Prepare the broth: In a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Place the bones and beef in a second large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Char the ginger by holding each piece with tongs directly over the stove burner on high heat. Char until lightly blackened and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Char the onions in the same way. Peel and discard the blackened skins of the ginger and onions, then rinse and set aside.

2. Vigorously boil the meat for 5 minutes, then transfer the bones and beef to the other pot of boiling water. Discard the water in which the meat first cooked. (This cleans the bones and meat and reduces the impurities that can cloud the broth.) When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the ginger, onions, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer until the beef is tender, about 40 minutes; occasionally skim the surface of any foam and fat.

3. Remove one piece of beef and submerge in cool water for 10 minutes (to prevent the meat from darkening and drying out). Drain, then cut into thin slices and set aside. Simmer the broth for another 50 minutes, then place the fennel seeds, star anise and cloves in a spice bag, add to the broth and add cinnamon stick and simmer for 30 minutes more. Remove and discard the spice bag and onions. Add the salt, and continue to simmer, skimming from time to time.

4. Prepare the soup: Soak the noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and, working in batches, dip the noodles into the boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds, stirring to keep them from tangling. Drain.

5. To serve, season the broth to taste with fish sauce, then bring to a rolling boil. Place about 2 cups of cooked noodles in each of six large preheated bowls. (If the noodles are not hot, dip them briefly in the simmering broth.) Place a few slices of the cooked and raw beef on the noodles, then ladle 2 to 3 cups broth into each bowl. The broth will cook the raw beef instantly.

6. At the table, garnish with onions, scallions and cilantro. Invite guests to top the soup with bean sprouts, herbs, chilies, lime juice and black pepper. Serves 6.

Steamed Halibut Steaks

Steamed Halibut Steaks
A dish that stands up to whites with personality

By Harvey Steiman
From Wine Spectator magazine

Ingredients, Recipes and Preparation Instructions:

1 whole stalk celery
1 onion, chopped
A few leaves of fresh fennel
1/2 bottle dry white wine
6 halibut steaks, about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tangy Passion Fruit Sauce (recipe follows)
Roasted New Potatoes (recipe follows)

Tangy Passion Fruit Sauce

4 to 6 passion fruits (or 1/4 cup unsweetened passion fruit juice)
1/4 cup pan liquid from the fish preparation
1 stick cold butter, cut into 8 to 10 slices
Salt and white pepper
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Roasted New Potatoes

2 pounds small new potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Break the celery into ribs, then rinse and arrange in a crisscross pattern in a roasting pan large enough to hold the fish in one layer. Add the onion, fennel and wine, then place the pan on the range and bring the contents to a boil.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F. After the vegetable-wine mixture has come to a boil, place the fish over the vegetables, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover the pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks.

When the fish steaks are done, gently remove them to a heated plate, reserving the liquid, and keep them warm while you make the sauce. Once you have done so, transfer the fish to six heated plates and spoon the Tangy Passion Fruit Sauce over the steaks. Serve with Roasted New Potatoes and boiled or steamed green beans.

Serves 6.

Tangy Passion Fruit Sauce

Cut the passion fruits in half. Scoop out the pulp and push it through a coarse sieve, catching the pulpy juice in a bowl. This removes the dark seeds, which can turn bitter if cooked. You should have 1/4 cup juice.

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the juice and put the rest in a wide saucepan with the 1/4 cup pan liquid. (Use the widest saucepan you can find; the wider the pan, the faster this will go.) Boil the liquid until it almost evaporates, swirling the pan to prevent burning. Remove the pan from the heat and add the reserved tablespoon of passion fruit juice. It will sizzle merrily. As it settles down, start adding the butter, 2 or 3 slices at a time, swirling the pan to melt it evenly. Add the next few slices of butter just before the first ones melt. Return the pan to the heat for a few seconds at a time, as needed to keep the pan warm. The goal here is to melt the butter and incorporate it with the reduced liquid; it should never come close to simmering.

Season to taste with salt and white pepper, then add the horseradish as a final touch.

Note: To make the sauce ahead of time, create your own base in lieu of the pan liquid: Boil 1/2 cup white wine plus a few slices of celery and onion separately until the liquid reduces by half, then strain the mixture. To keep this sauce warm, store it in a thermos (it will retain its heat for up to two hours). Do not try to keep it in a double boiler.

Roasted New Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Toss the potatoes with oil, season them generously with salt and pepper, and arrange them in a single layer in a roasting pan. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes, then shake the pan and continue baking until they feel tender when pierced with a knife or skewer, perhaps 5 to 10 minutes longer.