Mi Quang is a perfect mix of texture and flavors. What makes it unique? The wide yellow turmeric noodle and the broth make Mi Quang different from others..
Ingredients to cook the broth are pork and dried shrimp or chicken, duck, crab living in rice field. There are various recipes to make the broth but the broth must be yellow, slightly gelatinous, rich and have attractive smell.
The broths of other noodle soups such as Pho, Hue noodle soup and Clear noodle soup are cover the noodles completely.
The Mi Quang’s broth is served enough to barely cover the noodles and it will be soaked up by the noodles in a few minutes if you don’t eat the bowl of Mi Quang fast. Unlike other Vietnamese noodle soups, Quang style noodle is almost like a noodle salad.
In a small bowl, combine paprika, sugar, salt, msg or mushroom seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder. Paprika gives the characteristic red colour and a mild spicy flavor. Omit it if you can’t tolerate spicy food.
Ask the butcher to chop the pork neck bones into 3 inch chunks. If you use spare ribs have them chop them into 2 inch pieces.
This step is to be done before boiling to remove any impurities from the bones. In a stock pot, cover the pork with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes before draining. Remove the pork. Rinse under running cold water. Discard the blanching water.
Cover the pork bones again with cold water. Add onion and garlic, Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the meat is cooked through, at least an hour.
Frequently skimming any additional foam, and debris from the surface. Add more water if needed. You can make the stock a day ahead.
Half way through, place the dried shrimps in the tea ball strainer and drop it in the pot with the hanger hangs from the side of the pot.
If you don’t have the tea ball strainer, adding shrimps straight into the stock pot is okay. The dried shrimps add a bit more depth and complexity to the flavor.In the meantime, slice pork belly. Trim the legs and tails of shrimps. If using head-on shrimps, remove heads from shrimps and set aside for later use.In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and annatto seeds over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the oil becomes a rich, orange-red color, about 3 minutes. Discarding the seeds.Add minced garlic, and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add pork belly and stir-fry until the fat is translucent, about 2 minutesAdd shrimp heads, if used, then press the shrimp heads with your spatula to bring out the flavor and color. Add shrimps and dried spices, stirring constantly, until shrimps turn pink. Remove skillet from heat.
By now, the pork neck bones should be cooked and the meat is soft. Transfer the sauteed pork belly and shrimps into the pot of pork bone stock.
Bring it back to a slow steady boil. Remove the shrimps from the pot to prevent them from overcooked. Set aside.
Add a tablespoon of fish sauce to boost up the flavor of the broth. Simmer the broth for a little longer, about another 20 minutes.
You can also get store-bought fresh white noodle. To make the noodle yellow, bring a pot of water and a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a boil. Then add noodle to blanch it for a minute. Drain and set aside.
Dried pre-made mì Quảng noodle or dried wide rice noodle would also work. Follow the instruction on the package for how to cook the noodle.
Banana Blossom: prepare a bowl of water with juice from a lemon. The acidity of lemon will prevent the banana blossom from discoloration. Cut banana blossom lengthwise, peel purple leaves and discard the small flowers in between the leaves.
Wash the leaves thoroughly then stack and roll leaves together and finely cut. Place in bowl of water. When you are ready to serve, remove shredded banana blossom for the water bowl and gently squeeze it to remove the access water.
Bean Sprouts, Perilla Leaves, Mint Leaves, and Lettuce: you can keep them separately or mix them together.
Black Sesame Rice Crackers: untoasted black sesame rice crackers can be found in Asian markets. It can be microwaved for about 2 minutes until crispy. They also sell pre-toasted ones as well.
Fish Sauce and Red Chili Peppers: Mix cut chili peppers and fish sauce in a dipping saucer.
Roasted Peanuts: coarsely crush the roasted peanuts.
Green Onion and Cilantro: in a bowl, mix thinly sliced green onion and coarsely chopped cilantro.
In bowl, add noodle, pork neck bone, or spare ribs, slices of pork belly and shrimps. My daughters love fried fish patties so I always add it to mì Quảng bowl. Serve this dish with less broth than other kinds of noodle soup.
Therefore, the broth for mì Quảng need to be tasty. Ladle the hot broth over the noodle bowl (about 1/2 of the bowl). Garnish with green onions and cilantro, then top with roasted peanuts.Serve mì Quảng with shredded banana blossom, lettuce and herbs and black sesame rice crackers which you break into small pieces. Mix everything together and enjoy – perhaps with a cup of green tea!
