Hoàng Lan

My aunty Hoàng Cẩm Tú, 54, from the northern province of Bắc Ninh, recently visited my home in Hà Nội.

We asked her to cook us burnt pork liver noodle soup, locally known as phở gan cháy, one of the specialties from her locality.

This is a dish we have heard so much about but haven't had the chance to try.

Tú said the origins of the dish are not really known, but one thing is for sure: she's been enjoying it since she was a little girl.

“Different from the original phở which is topped with beef or chicken, the Bắc Ninh noodle soup is topped with pork inner organs such as its heart, kidneys and burnt liver, a variation created by local chefs who have pleased many foodies and guests,” Tú said, adding that the dish is so famous that almost everyone who visits the province is keen to try it.

Burnt liver noodle soup, a must-try dish when visiting Bắc Ninh Province. Photo dienmayxanh.com

Ingredients to make phở gan cháy (for four people) are: pork liver (0.4kg), pork kidneys (0.4kg), pork heart (0.5kg), rice noodle (0.6kg), pork femur bone (1.5kg), noodle soup spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, minced garlic, minced dried onion, cashew cooking oil and broth.

Others include herbs, green bean sprouts, cilantro, lemon, fresh chili, chili sauce, black soy sauce and mixed garlic, vinegar and chili, Tú told me.

She said what really makes the dish shine is not only the ingredients. but also the processing steps in which all the pork organs should be cleaned and marinated in white vinegar for several minutes to remove their odour. They are then cleaned it in safe water.

Tasty, fried burnt liver is one of main toppings of Bắc Ninh's noodle soup. Photo dienmayxanh.com

The dried spices, such as bay leaves and others, need to be fried until there is a strong flavoursome aroma of herbs, then placed in a thin fabric bag, tied carefully, before being put into the broth pot.

Asked how to cook tasty broth, Tú said the pork bones should be parboiled between 3-5 minutes to release any dirt and bad smell, then washed again and stewed it for 30 minutes (in a pressure cooker) or 1-1.5 hours in a normal pot over a flame. The final step is to put the spice bag in to the pot and continue to cook it for another 30 minutes.

For the liver, fry the minced garlic with cooking oil until fragrant then put the pork heart and kidney pieces into the pan and give it a quick stir to make sure the ingredients are firm, but still tender.

Fresh herbs and fresh green bean sprouts are among the ingredients used to make burnt liver noodle soup. Photo dienmayxanh.com

Next you need to prepare another deep pan and pour half a litre of cooking oil, wait several minutes then put the liver to deep-fry it.

“This process needs skill so as not to break the liver into pieces,” said Tú, adding that when the liver turned almost black, it's done.

Tú parboiled the rice noodle in boiled water, arranged it in a big bowl and topped with green bean sprouts, fried pork organs, including the livers and fresh onion, before pouring boiled sweet broth into the bowl.

She told me to serve the bowl to each family member, one after another.

Bắc Ninh has been well known not only for its burnt liver noodle soup specialty but also for many ancient heritages such as 800-year-old Bút Tháp Pagoda, which welcomes hundreds of locals and foreign visitors every year. Photo xanhsm.com

The dish was so tasty. We all agreed what made it perfect was the pure, light sweet broth, medium-to-well done pork organs, which were not tough or too dry and the fragrance from the minced burnt garlic mixed with the broth, creating a special characteristic flavour.

The dish is more enjoyable when eaten it with fresh herbs and chili, she told us.

The mean has helped to bring Bắc Ninh cuisine on the national culinary map.

“This simple, but amazing, burnt liver noodle soup is an unforgettable dish for not only locals but also foreign visitors to the province,” Tú said. VNS