Chicken Pho (PHỞ GÀ ) Or Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Instructions

1. Boil 2 litres of water with ½ cup of rice vinegar and ½ tbsp of salt. Switch off the flame. Add the chicken with bone (and preferably with skin) along with the chicken bones. You may lightly bruise the bones if you like before adding to the water. Leave them in for 10 – 15 mins, before taking them out and washing them in cold water.
2. Char the onions and ginger over open flame to burn the skin. Place them over the flame for 2 minutes each side, undisturbed. The idea is to char them well as we want their flavour to seep into the broth. Once charred, peel off the skin and clean up.
3. Using a mortar and pestle lightly bruise and crush together the coriander roots, garlic cloves and peppercorns. Put them in a mesh bag or tie them in a muslin cloth and keep them ready to prepare the stock or the broth. You may roughly pulse grind the coriander roots, garlic and whole black peppercorns if you do not have a mortar – pestle readily at home.
4. Heat a pan over medium- low flame. Dry roast the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise. Frequently stir for about 5 mins or until they release their aroma. Cool them before transferring to a second mesh bag or tie them up in another muslin cloth ( make them into ‘potli’ ).
5. In a large deep bottom pan add 4 litres of water along with the chicken with bone (and skin) pieces, and the spare chicken bones as well.
6. Once the water starts boiling, add the grilled onions, ginger and shallots into the simmering stock. Add the quartered radish or carrots. I even added some celery too (both the stem and the leaves).
7. Next drop in the 2 mesh bags or ‘potlis’. First mesh bag containing crushed coriander roots, garlic cloves and peppercorns and the second one containing the dry roasted cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise.
8. Now cover with a lid and reduce the flame to a sim. Simmer and cook the chicken stock for 45 mins. It is important to cook the chicken stock on very low and gentle flame. Remove the cover from time to time and Scoop off the scum (dirty form) that rises to the surface.
9. Strain the stock into a clean pan and remove the chicken pieces. You should be having a maximum of 2 litres of the clear chicken stock ready for your Pho.
10. Shred the chicken, discard the bones and the skin. Keep them aside and ready.
11. Put the stock back over a medium-low flame to keep it warm and season the chicken stock/broth with chicken powder or chicken stock cubes, some rock, sugar and fish sauce. Sugar in Vietnam is a much needed and an essential ingredient that is used to balance the taste. Taste and add salt as per your taste.
12. While your chicken stock was getting ready blanch the rice noodles, bean sprouts in boiling water and put them into a large soup bowl.
13. Assemble your Chicken Pho immediately by scooping a few ladle full of the chicken broth into your prepared soup bowl. Top it with sliced chicken meat, a generous helping of bean sprouts, chopped spring onion greens and a pinch of pepper powder.
14. Serve with mixed herbs, sliced red chillies and green jalapenos. Squeeze in some lemon juice from the top and add hoisin sauce and red chilli sauce according to your taste.