Destination
Luang Prabang
The story
Lao khao soi (specifically the Luang Prabang version) is one of the most misleadingly-named dishes in Southeast Asia. The Thai khao soi is a coconut-curry noodle soup from Chiang Mai; the Lao khao soi is a completely different dish: flat rice noodles in a clear pork broth, topped with a rich, dark tomato-and-pork ragout (called nam) spiked with fermented soybean paste (tua nao), served with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, pickled greens and a spoon of Lao chilli paste. Sold at every Luang Prabang morning market and at specialist Lao khao soi shops in Vientiane. Order and expect to be surprised if you know only the Thai version.
Method
Blanch the pork bones in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse (this removes any scum). Return to a clean pot with the star anise, ginger, spring onion whites, garlic, salt and cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook 60 to 75 minutes over low heat, until the broth is deep and savoury. Strain and keep hot.
Warm the oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat. Sweat the shallots and garlic 5 to 6 minutes until soft and starting to gold. Add the ginger and cook 1 minute more.
Add the ground pork to the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned and any liquid has evaporated.
Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is thick and dark.
Stir in the tua nao (or miso), fish sauce, sugar, chilli flakes and salt. Cook 5 more minutes until the mixture is glossy and unified. Taste and adjust; the nam should be salty-sweet-savoury with a subtle funk from the tua nao.
Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the rice noodles for 1 to 2 minutes (fresh) or 3 to 4 minutes (dried) until just tender. Drain and rinse briefly with warm water.
Divide the noodles between 4 large bowls. Ladle over hot pork broth to just cover the noodles. Top each bowl with a generous spoonful of the tomato-pork nam.
Scatter each bowl with bean sprouts, Thai basil, coriander and pickled mustard greens. Serve immediately with lime wedges and Lao chilli paste on the side.
Tips
- Tua nao is the specific Lao ingredient. Sold at Lao and northern Thai grocers as tua nao or fermented soybean paste. Japanese red miso is a workable substitute; without either, the dish loses its funky depth.
- Blanch the pork bones first. The initial 5-minute blanch and rinse removes scum and gives you a much cleaner-tasting broth. Skip and you get a cloudy, muddy soup.
- Cook the nam until dark. The tomato-pork ragout should be cooked long enough to darken noticeably and become glossy. Under-cooked nam is watery and thin; properly cooked nam clings to the noodles.
- Don't over-season the broth. The broth is meant to be a clear, savoury background; the nam is where the flavour lives. A subtle broth lets the ragout shine.
- Pickled mustard greens are the specific Lao topping. Sold at Chinese and Southeast Asian grocers in jars. Their sour-crunchy note is what balances the rich nam.
More recipes
View all
Chewy hand-cut tapioca-and-rice noodles simmered in a clear ginger-chicken broth, topped with poached chicken, fried garlic and fresh herbs. Laos's daily breakfast.
Steam-set rice noodle rolls filled with pork and wood-ear mushroom, served with sliced grilled sausage and fresh herbs. Luang Prabang morning market's Vietnamese-Lao crossover.
Thin strips of beef marinated in fish sauce, sugar and pepper, air-dried in the sun and finished with a quick deep-fry. Laos's sweet-savoury jerky, always with sticky rice.
Roasted chillies, garlic and shallots pounded to a thick paste with fried pork skin, fish sauce and a little palm sugar. Laos's national condiment, served with sticky rice and raw vegetables.
Coconut milk, palm sugar and layered tapioca, jelly, banana or jackfruit in a tall glass over ice. The Lao afternoon cooling drink.
Green papaya pounded in a wooden mortar with fermented fish sauce, chilli, lime, tomato and long beans. The Lao national salad, funkier and hotter than its Thai cousin.