Boat Noodles

Thai Boat Noodles (Kuay Teow Reua)

A richly spiced Thai beef noodle broth, traditionally served in small 60–80 ml bowls so diners can stack several in a meal. The dark, savoury broth gets its colour and depth from soy sauce, herbs and — in the classic version — a touch of coagulated pork blood.

Prep

25 min

Cook

75 min

Total

100 min

Serves

4 to 6 small bowls (about 1.5 l of broth)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) beef shank or chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces, with bone if possible
• •200 g (7 oz) beef meatballs (luuk chinua), small Thai-style, halved if large
• •100 g (3½ oz) fresh pork blood, coagulated and diced, optional but traditional; pre-cooked/cubed pork blood sold at Asian markets. Skip if unavailable.
• •300 g (10½ oz) thin fresh rice noodles (sen lek), or dried rice vermicelli
• •100 g (3½ oz) morning glory (phak bung) or substitute bok choy, blanched, cut into short lengths
• •2 L (8½ cups) beef stock or water, stock gives a deeper result
• •6 cloves garlic, smashed
• •30 g (¼ cup) galangal, smashed
• •4 whole Thai bird's eye chillies, lightly smashed
• •1 tbsp white peppercorns, lightly crushed
• •2 tbsp coriander roots, cleaned and smashed
• •2 stalks lemongrass, smashed and tied
• •4 tbsp (¼ cup) dark soy sauce, for colour and depth
• •3 tbsp light soy sauce
• •2 tbsp Thai seasoning soy sauce (Maggi-style), optional but characteristic
• •1 tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste
• •30 g (⅓ cup) Thai basil leaves, for garnish
• •30 g (⅓ cup) fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
• •1 tbsp fried garlic, for garnish
• •1 lime lime, cut into wedges, for serving
• •1 tbsp Thai chilli powder or prik nam som (chilli vinegar), optional, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Make the herb sachet: tie the smashed garlic, galangal, coriander roots, lemongrass, chillies and crushed white peppercorns into a piece of muslin (or use a large tea infuser). This makes it easy to remove later and keeps the broth clear-flavoured.
2. 2 Bring the beef stock to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. Add the beef pieces, the herb sachet, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and seasoning soy. Reduce to a steady simmer and skim off the grey foam for 10 minutes so the broth stays clean.
3. 3 Simmer gently for 60–75 minutes, partially covered, until the beef is tender enough to pierce easily with a chopstick. Internal temperature should read at least 85°C (185°F) and the meat should feel fork-soft.
4. 4 While the broth simmers, soak or cook the rice noodles according to the package until just tender; drain and divide into small individual bowls (60–80 ml / ¼-cup capacity is traditional).
5. 5 Blanch the morning glory (or bok choy) in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. Set aside with the fresh herbs.
6. 6 Drop the meatballs and diced pork blood into the simmering broth for the final 8–10 minutes, just to heat through. The meatballs must reach an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
7. 7 Season the finished broth with palm sugar and salt; taste and adjust — it should be intensely savoury, lightly sweet, with a clear herbal and peppery note.
8. 8 To assemble each bowl: place a small handful of noodles in the bottom, add a few pieces of beef, 2–3 meatballs and a spoonful of pork blood (if using), then top with a little morning glory.
9. 9 Ladle the boiling broth over to cover, scatter basil, coriander and fried garlic on top. Serve immediately with lime wedges and chilli powder or chilli vinegar on the side, and instruct diners to add fresh greens, a squeeze of lime and chilli to taste before sipping the broth.
10. 10 Note for raw fish or seafood: this recipe contains no raw fish or shellfish, so no parasite-control freezing step is required. If you choose to add thinly sliced raw beef (a common variation), briefly dunk the slices in the boiling broth for at least 30 seconds until they turn fully opaque; do not serve truly raw.