cao lầuCao lau

Hoi An's noodle bowl, built for one plate and not repeated: the yellow rice noodle, the pork, the chả lụa or the nấm mushroom, the daikon, the fried crouton, and a little of the sauces 101 article's fish-sauce broth. The noodle article's rice strand, on the dry side, is the base, and the bowl is finished with the hand, not the pot.

The page is the noodle article, on the dry end, with the pho the neighbor on the wet side and the pad thai the one the noodle article does in the wok. The noodle is half the bowl, and the bowl is the one the section is named for, and the wrapper article's rice paper is the one the section does on the gỏi cuốn.

Origin

Hoi An — the bowl, as the city is named for

Difficulty

3 / 5

Servings

4

Prep

40 min

Cook

15 min

Total

~55 min

Equipment

• A heavy-bottomed pot, for the pork, the braising article's own pot, in this dish the cao lau instead of the stock
• A fine sieve, for the broth, the stock article's own sieve, in this dish the nước lèo instead of the stock
• A heavy pan, for the crouton, the frying article's own pan, in this dish the quẩy instead of the banana fritter

Ingredients

• 300 g of the rice noodle, the 6 mm strand, the noodle article's own rice strand, in this dish the cao lau — the yellow, from a little of the turmeric done in the noodle's own water
• 400 g of the pork, the shoulder, sliced the 3 mm thick, the moo hong article's own pork, in this dish the bowl instead of the braise
• 200 g of the shimeji, or the enoki, or the miso soup article's own shiitake, if the day runs on the mushroom
• 1 piece of the crouton dough, the 5 cm cube, the focaccia article's own dough, in this dish the quẩy instead of the crumb
• 1 daikon, the middle, 2 mm thin, the boeuf bourguignon article's own carrot, in this dish the daikon instead of the carrot
• 4 stalks of the lemongrass, bruised, the green curry article's own lemongrass, in this dish the pork and the broth
• The nuoc le
• 4 tbsp of the fish sauce, and 1 tbsp of the sugar, the sauces 101 article's spine, in this dish the nuoc le instead of the dip
• 8 leaves of the mint and the Thai basil, the Thai section's own herbs, at the table

Method

1. The pork, in the braise. The pork, the lemongrass, and 2 tbsp of the fish sauce, the 1 tbsp of the sugar, and the 2 tbsp of the water, into the pot, and the heat, the braising article's own hold, and the 10 min, until the pork, the meat temperature article's fast side, is the one that reads as the cao lau, not as the pork. The pork, off the pot, and the broth, the sauces 101 article's own register, strained, and the set, waits until the noodle, and the crouton, and the bowl, are at their window.
2. The noodle, and the crouton. The noodle, the 300 g, into the hot water, and the 5–10 min, until the strand, the outside just set, and the center, the faintest give, and the colander, and the cold water, and the bowl, the wide, the 20 cm, and the noodle, underneath — the noodle article's own register, in this dish the cao lau instead of the pad thai. The crouton dough, the 5 cm cube, into the oil, the frying article's own pull, until the outside, the quẩy, is the one that reads as the crouton, and the center, just set, and the crouton, off the oil, and the plate, down.
3. The bowl. The noodle, underneath, and the pork, and the mushroom, and the daikon, and the crouton, over it, and the nuoc le, the 2 tbsp, into the bowl, the sauces 101 article's own register, in this dish the cao lau instead of the nuoc cham. The herbs, the mint, the Thai basil, on the side, the plate article's own register, at the table, and the bowl, down, waits until the hand does its work on the side. The cao lau, the one the Vietnam section is named for, is the dish as it is.

Common failures

• The noodle, wet, with the bowl read as porridge. The 5–10 min soak, too long, or the cold water, not through, and the one that is wet is the one that missed the noodle article's own register. The soak, the 5–10 min, and the colander, and the cold water, are the two that keep the cao lau on the correct side of the line.
• The nuoc le, sweet, with the broth read as syrup. The sugar, the 1 tbsp, and the fish sauce, the 4 tbsp, not in the right order, and the one that reads as syrup is the one that missed the sauces 101 article's own spine. The fish sauce, first, and the sugar, over it, are the two that do the half the cao lau does not do on its own.
• The crouton, flat, with the quẩy not read as crouton. The oil, the frying article's own surface, not at its window, and the one that is flat is the one that missed the frying article's own pull. The oil, hot before the dough is in, and the 5 cm cube, are the two that do the half the bowl does not do on its own.

Variations

• The pork, the plain one: the 400 g, and the chả lụa, the 100 g, instead, the moo hong article's own pork, in this dish the bowl instead of the braise.
• The lemongrass, the fragrant one: the 4 stalks of the green curry article's lemongrass, in this dish the cao lau, on the same green curry article's register.
• The nuoc le, the plain one: the fish sauce, the sugar, the sauces 101 article's spine, in this dish the cao lau, on the same register.

What to serve with it

The pho, as the neighbor on the wet side, and the bun bo Hue, as the neighbor on the spice, on the same register of the noodle article. The pad thai, as the neighbor on the wok, and the miso soup, as the neighbor on the bowl, are the two the cao lau sits beside on the table. The herbs, the quẩy, the daikon, on the side, are the half at the table, and the bowl, with the noodle and the pork, is the dish as it is.

Noodles · Pho bo · Bun bo Hue