Phở Gà

When you love something deeply, you learn to set it free. I’ve been holding onto this recipe and I’m happy to finally share it.

Growing up in a suburb of Texas, I never had to go far for good Vietnamese food. My mom’s Phở was so good it ruined restaurant pho for me, a problem that doesn’t show up until you leave home. She simmered it all night, and you could smell it from the driveway before you reached the door.

Since I’ve moved away, it’s the meal I crave the most. And over the years, my standards collapsed. My standards were set at her stove, and I’ve been lowering them ever since. I have no Phở standards now. I’ll order it in the airport, the mall, in a small town in Arkansas, always willing to take a losing bet. For a while, I resorted to instant pho.

I remember seeing it in my college cafeteria and knowing the type of experience I was in for. What I’ve learned is that I was not looking for a quality bowl but the makings of comfort and nostalgia. You know it wasn’t made for you but at least it was made for someone.

So my recipe is a bowl of comfort and nostalgia, un unfinished effort that will never be perfect, and one I’ll bet on every time. Try the recipe. I still have no pho standards, so I promise to enjoy it.

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Phở Gà (Chicken Pho)

Cook time: 1 Hour or 3 Hours (choose your adventure)

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken OR 6 Chicken Thighs Bone-in

1 Large Yellow Onion, halved

4-inch knob of Ginger, halved lengthwise

1 Packet of Pho Spices OR 5 Star Anise, 1 tablespoon of Cloves, 1 Tablespoon of Coriander seeds, 1 Tablespoon of Cardamon seeds or 3 whole Cardamon, 3 small Cinnamon sticks, and 1 Tablespoon of Fennel seeds in a fine mesh bag

6 servings of dry Pho Noodles or fresh pho noodles

A fine mesh ladle

6 Quart or 5.7 L Stock Pot

Garnishing:

Diced Green Onion

Chopped Cilantro

Bean Sprouts

Jalapeños

Limes

Fresh cracked pepper

Hoisin Sauce

Siracha

Broth Seasonings:

2 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoons of Fish Sauce

1 Teaspoon of MSG

2 pieces of 1-in rock sugars or 1 Tablespoon of white sugar

Steps

1. Pat your chicken dry to remove any sliminess. Debone your whole chicken or chicken thighs. You can also leave the meat and bones intact but simmer whole for only 30mins. If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the chicken meat and simmer the bones for three hours.
2. Char the onion and ginger. Place them cut side down on a sheet pan and broil for about 5 minutes, or char over an open flame.
3. Toast the spices in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about a minute or two. Put them in the mesh bag.
4. In a large stock pot, add the chicken, charred ginger and onion, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 pieces of rock sugar, and the pho spice bag. Add water until the chicken is fully submerged.
5. Turn your heat to medium-high and let the pot come to a boil.
6. Once your pot reaches boiling, lower the heat to the lowest setting to create simmer. Skim the fat, scum, and blood from the surface with a fine mesh ladle. A gentle simmer keeps the broth clear.
7. If you used deboned chicken, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove it to rest for 5 minutes. Keep the bones simmering for about for about 2.5 hours or longer.
8. If using bone-in chicken, let simmer for 30 minutes and then remove it to rest.
9. While the broth simmers, dice green onions, chop cilantro, slice jalapeños, quarter limes, and clean thai basil and bean sprouts.
10. Boil the noodles according to the label instructions, then rinse under cold water.
11. Strain the bones, onion, ginger, and spice bag. Skim again, then bring the broth back to a boil.
12. Season with a 1 tbsp of fish sauce and 1 tsp of MSG.
13. Shred or slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Divide the noodles, chicken, green onion, cilantro, jalapeños, and sprouts among the bowls, then ladle the boiling broth over the top.
14. Finish with some fresh cracked pepper, a squeeze of lime, and hoisin and sriracha to your liking.

*For a quick REMIX, make a aromatic sauce/oil and serve the chicken on the side.*

1. Fry sliced shallots, jalapeños, and green onion in three tablespoons of neural oil (olive, vegetable, canola, or peanut will all work).
2. Let the aromatics sizzle until fried golden brown.
3. In a small bowl, add a teaspoon of chicken bouillon, teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (and a splash of dark soy sauce is stellar if you have it for color).
4. Pour the sizzling aromatics and oil over your bowl of seasonings and then thoroughly mix.
5. Serve the chicken on the side and top with the sauce and fried golden bits.

*REMIX THE REMIX and make Phở trộn or Dry Pho*

1. In a bowl, lay your pho noodles, chicken, cilantro, green onions, and fried shallots. Pour a couple spoons of your aromatic oil/sauce and some hoisin sauce and sriracha.
2. To eat, just mix to your liking and serve with a small bowl of pho soup garnished with cilantro and cracked black pepper on the side.