Ingredients
Scale
For the stock:
- 1 2-inch piece of ginger, washed and slightly smashed with the side of a knife
- 2 large yellow onions washed and halved (you can leave the skin on)
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 whole chicken (about 4–5 pounds)
For the Noodles:
- 1 lb frozen/fresh pho noodles defrosted if frozen (you can also use dried)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 shallots or ¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced
Garnishes:
- 1 large handful fresh bean sprouts
- ½ bunch of thai/holy basil
- ½ bunch cilantro or culantro leaves
- 1 jalapeno or Serrano chile, thinly sliced
- 2 limes quartered
Condiments:
- Hoisin sauce
- sriracha chile sauce
- extra fish sauce for the table
Instructions
- Place the spices (star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds) in a small pan over medium heat and toast them for several minutes, shaking the pan regularly. The spices should be aromatic once toasted. Set the spices aside.
- Place the pan back on the stove and heat on medium high heat for several minutes. Add the oil and place the onion halves and ginger in the pan. Sear for 3-5 minutes until charred and flip and sear the other side for another couple minutes. Set aside.
- Place the chicken in a large pot, breast side up, and add 12 cups of water to the pot. Add the toasted spices, the charred onions and ginger, fish sauce, salt, and sugar.
- Bring the pot to a brisk simmer over high heat, cover with a lid leaving a small crack, and then reduce heat to medium low heat. Simmer for 1 and a half hours, skimming the surface of impurities occasionally.
- Remove the chicken gently by using a wide spatula and a pair of tongs (it will break apart easily) and put on a plate to cool. Pour the soup through a colander into a clean pot/container and skim any surface fat with a skimmer or paper towels. You can also refrigerate the broth overnight to congeal the fat. Scrape and discard the fat.
- The broth can be cooled and refrigerated until ready to use. You should have about 12 cups of broth. Add a little water if you’re short.
- Taste the broth. It should be more salty than you would normally drink since the noodles and vegetables will dilute the broth. Adjust with some salt if needed.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and pull the meat from the bones. It should be soft enough that you should be able to easily debone it. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces (I like to leave my chicken on the larger side so it’s easy to find in the bowl). Either refrigerate the chicken if you are serving another day or proceed with the noodles.
- Wash the bean sprouts, culantro, cilantro, and basil and mound onto a large platter. Add the other garnishes to the plate and refrigerate until ready to serve the noodles.
- Bring the stock to a simmer before preparing the noodles. If you need to reheat the refrigerated chicken, take a little of the stock and put it into the pan with the chicken. Heat it covered with a lid over medium heat for several minutes.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to boil and add the noodles to the pot. Stir the noodles with chopsticks and immediately drain into a colander. Using tongs or chopsticks to separate and portion the noodles. (You can also leave a strainer in the boiling pot and put the noodles directly into the strainer. Swish the noodles with chopsticks, then take the strainer out, shake out the excess water, and place the noodles into a bowl. This works well if you’re only doing 1-2 servings at a time.)
- Divide the noodles into 4 deep soup bowls and top with some of the chicken, some sliced shallot/onion, and a sprinkling of scallions.
- Then ladle about 2-3 cups of the hot broth over the noodles.
- Serve the pho with the garnishes.
- Everyone can add their favorite garnishes and adjust the flavor of the pho with the condiments at the table.
Notes
*I prefer fresh pho noodles which have a chewier texture and fresher flavor than dried. You can find the noodles in the freezer or refrigerator section of most Asian grocery stores. If you’re using dried rice noodles, purchase the medium width noodles and follow the package instructions for preparation.
*You can freeze both the prepared broth and chicken. Defrost both before reheating.
Keywords: pho, chicken, noodles, vietnamese, rice noodles, noodles