Pho French Fries (“Phries”)

I got this idea when my buddy and I decided to get together for an “elevated” bar food pop-up. I was doing R&D for my Pho Bo video on YouTube, so the beefy Vietnamese soup was already top-of-dome. What we’re going for are crispy, shoestring french fries that EXUDE the aroma and energy of the legendary noodle soup sans the broth... because ain’t nobody need soggy fries (in this application, at least).

Shoot me a DM or comment below if you have any questions about the recipe. If you came to the pop-up THANK YOU. Regardless,I hope you dig these crispy boyos 🤘🏼 Adam

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Pho French Fries (Phries)

Ingredients

Pho Powder and Fries

• Store-bought French Fries, frozen
• 2 Tbsp Beef Bouillon Powder *see note
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Ginger Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3 Star Anise
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Black Cardamom Pods
• 4 Green Cardamom Pods
• Sugar, to taste

Nuoc Cham Aioli

• ⅓ cup fish sauce
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp MSG
• 2 Thai Bird Chilies, minced *see note
• 2 cups Kewpie Mayo, more as needed
• Xanthan Gum, optional *see note

Garnish

• White Onion, thinly sliced
• Jalapeno, thinly sliced
• Scallion, thinly sliced
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Fresh Thai Basil, chopped
• Fresh Mint, chopped

Instructions

Pho Powder and Fries

1. Toast all spices in a dry pan over medium heat under aromatic. Grind to a powder using a spice grinder or blender then set aside.
2. Preheat frying oil to 350F then fry the french fries until golden, remove. Increase the oil temp to 375F then fry once more until the fries are golden brown.
3. Transfer the finished fries from the oil to a large bowl, sprinkle with some pho powder and toss to coat. Immediately, arrange the fries in a shallow dish. Zig zag on some aioli, then drop on some onions, jalapeños and herbs. Repeat once more for a layered effect. Serve with lime wedges and CRUSH!

Nuoc Cham Aioli

1. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar, garlic, MSG and thai bird chili to the blender and puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the kewpie mayo until you get a thick consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce. If it’s too thick add more lime juice to thin it out, if it’s too thin, add more mayonnaise and/or a bump of Xanthan gum. The final aioli should be rich in umami, VERY tangy and just spicy enough to make you want to eat more.

Adam's Notes

• Beef bouillon powder is what gives these fries it’s “beefy” flavor without adding any meat. I prefer to use a Korean beef bouillon powder that my grandma showed me called Dasida, you can pick some up here. This is a 2.2 pound bag which is a lot, but it’ll last long in the fridge once opened and you can use it to make stock as a base for soups, stews, chili, etc.

• Feel free to slice and fry fresh potatoes. In this case, a solid frozen french fry for ease and convenience. Hand-cutting fresh fries for 100+ people at the pop-up with no hand-crank extruder is not a good time. Sometimes frozen fries are  just easier all around and actually taste just as good, if not better, than fresh potatoes.

• The Nuoc Cham can get VERY spicy if you add more than 2 thai bird peppers. For less heat, remove some of the seeds or add less chilis. We’re pureeing the chilis which makes them taste MUCH hotter than if we were to mince them, be careful with the spice levels. Too spicy and the aioli will just taste like pain without much flavor.

• There is no salt in the Nuoc Cham because the fish sauce plays the salinity roll. If you need more salt, add more fish sauce. We want this sauce to be tangy, funky and have lots of umami because we’re blending it into mayonnaise which can take a lot of seasoning.

• Xanthan Gum (XG) is a powerful hydrocolloid used to thicken sauces. A little "bump" goes a long way and can completely change the consistency and texture of liquids. It's often used in restaurants to make give thin liquids and sauces body without adding or taking away flavor. In this case, we use it to thicken the aioli if it's too thin. You might need it, you might not. I recommend everybody, home cook or pro, to have XG in their larder. Pick some up and experiment with it here.

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