Phở Gà Recipe

Char aromatics

Hold the halved onion and smashed ginger over an open gas flame or under a broiler until the cut surfaces are blackened and fragrant, about 5–8 minutes. Alternatively, char in a dry skillet until darkened. Rinse briefly to remove loose carbon if desired.

Toast spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods and black cardamom for 2–3 minutes until aromatic and slightly darker — shake the pan frequently to avoid burning. Transfer to a piece of cheesecloth or a small spice sachet and tie closed.

Build and simmer broth

Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot. Add 6 liters (about 6.5 quarts) of cold water to fully cover the bird. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming any scum that rises for the first 10–15 minutes. Add the charred onion, charred ginger, optional daikon, the toasted spice sachet, white peppercorns, rock sugar, and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Reduce heat so the broth barely simmers (small bubbles) and cook gently for 45–60 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors have melded.

Remove chicken and clarify broth

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. Increase heat and simmer the broth uncovered for another 10–15 minutes to concentrate flavor if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce (about 4 tablespoons) and additional salt if needed. If you prefer a very clear broth, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot and skim any remaining fat; alternatively, chill briefly and remove hardened fat from the surface.

Finish broth

Keep the hot broth on the lowest heat setting to maintain temperature, or hold at an immediate-to-serve temperature (just below simmer). Keep the strained spice sachet out of the final broth to avoid bitterness.

Poach and shred chicken

After removing the chicken from the broth, let it rest for 5 minutes. To keep meat moist and allow slicing, you may shock the chicken briefly in cold water/ice for a minute, then pat dry. Remove skin if desired. Carve the chicken into pieces and thinly slice or shred breast and thigh meat for serving (reserve bones for additional stock if desired). Quantity here should yield about 600 g sliced cooked meat.

Prepare rice noodles

Soak or cook the dried rice noodles according to package instructions: usually soak in warm water 20–30 minutes until pliable, or boil 4–6 minutes until tender but slightly chewy. Drain and rinse briefly with warm water to prevent sticking. Keep hot by tossing with a small amount of oil or holding in a warm bowl.

Heat broth and assemble protein

Bring the strained broth to a rolling bowl-sized temperature (near simmer) for ladling. Arrange thin slices of cooked chicken on individual serving bowls on top of the drained noodles so hot broth will warm the meat and slightly finish slices.

Prepare garnishes

Soak thinly sliced yellow onion in cold water for 10 minutes and drain. Trim and slice scallions on the diagonal. Wash and pick herbs and sprouts; cut lime into wedges; thinly slice chiles. Portion hoisin and Sriracha into small bowls for the table.

Assemble bowls

Divide the cooked rice noodles among 4–6 large bowls (depending on portion size). Top each with a generous portion of sliced chicken. Ladle very hot strained broth over the noodles and chicken, filling the bowl and heating the meat. Scatter some soaked onions, scallions and cilantro on top.

Serve with condiments

Serve each bowl with a plate of Thai basil, mint/sawtooth herb, bean sprouts, lime wedges and chiles. Encourage diners to squeeze lime, add herbs and sprouts to taste, and mix in hoisin and Sriracha as desired.

Leftover broth: cool quickly and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Use reserved shredded chicken in salads, sandwiches or as extra pho topping. Reheat broth gently to avoid boiling off nuanced flavors.