Slow Cooker Turkey Pho Food

SLOW-COOKER PHO

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Place onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano chiles on a small baking sheet and broil, rotating until charred, about 8 minutes. Remove from broiler and add cinnamon, star anise, coriander, cloves, peppercorns, fennel, and cardamom. Return to broiler until spices are toasted and aromatic, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Transfer to crock pot, along with beef shanks and chicken stock. Add salt or fish sauce, and enough water to cover shanks by ½-inch, about 8 cups.
• Place lid on crock pot and let cook, at least 8 hours and up to 12 for an even fuller flavor, until meat is falling off the bone.
• Remove beef from crockpot. With a spider or mesh strainer, remove all aromatics from the pot. With a large spoon, skim fat. When beef is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces and return to broth. For best results, chill broth and skim fat; reheat before serving. Alternatively, skim fat while soup is warm with a large spoon. Season to taste with salt or fish sauce.
• Divide broth and meat among serving bowls and top with noodles, bean sprouts, lime wedges, herbs, scallions, and chiles. Serve.

SLOW COOKER TURKEY PHO

Steps:

• Fry the ginger and onion in a dry frying pan over a high heat until deeply coloured. Transfer to the slow cooker and heat to low. Fry the whole spices for a few mins until fragrant, then tip into the slow cooker. If pressed for time, simply put in the slow cooker without frying.
• Add the carcass, then pour 3-4 litres boiling water into the cooker so the bones are covered, ensuring you don't overfill it. Cover and cook for 8-10 hrs, depending on how long you can leave it.
• Strain the stock, discarding the bones and spices. Season with the fish sauce and sugar. To freeze for later, leave to cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Keep warm in the slow cooker if serving immediately.
• Cook the noodles following pack instructions, drain and divide between bowls. Top with the turkey and beansprouts or veg, then transfer the stock to a jug and pour over enough to fill the bowls (you will have extra, which you can freeze as above). Scatter over the herbs and chilli, then serve with the lime wedges and sauces.

LEFTOVER ROAST TURKEY PHO

Steps:

• For the broth: Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Toss the turkey bones and parts, onions, ginger and garlic with the vegetable oil in a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle with salt and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading everything out into a somewhat even layer (it is okay if some items slightly overlap). Roast turning the bones and vegetables halfway through until the vegetables are slightly charred, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the star anise pods, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks to a large pot. Set over medium heat and toast until very fragrant, shaking the pot occasionally, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the chicken broth, fish sauce, according to taste, and 8 cups of water.
• Add the roasted turkey bones and vegetables to the pot, scraping any browned bits off of the baking sheet and adding them in as well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and into another large pot. (The broth can be made to this point up to 2 days in advance; let cool, then refrigerate in a covered container.) Stir the shredded turkey meat into the hot broth.
• For the soup: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Divide the noodles among 6 bowls then top with the broth and shredded meat. Serve with the bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, red onion, hoisin sauce, sriracha and a lime wedge on the side so that guests can top their pho as they like.