Pho – so warm, so cozy, so healthful, so delish, so surprisingly easy! While that tasty broth does take a bit of time to simmer & develop flavor, the actual cooking part is pretty darn straightforward. This recipe is the perfect thing to make on a cold winter weekend afternoon!
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 4lb whole chicken, neck & giblets reserved, liver discarded
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 3″ piece ginger, peeled & halved lengthwise
- 2 t table salt
- 1 t sugar
- 1 T coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/4 c fish sauce
Pho
- 12 oz dried rice noodles
- 1/2 small onion, sliced thin
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- Bean sprouts
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Fresh Thai basil leaves
- Lime wedges
- Thinly sliced jalapeno chili
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha sauce
For the Broth: Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears or sharp knife, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Cut straight down through breastbone to make 2 halves. Working with 1 half at a time, separate leg quarter & wing from each breast.
Transfer chicken parts, backbone, neck & giblets to large pot. Add 12 c water, onion, ginger, salt & sugar & bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cook, skimming off any scum that rises to surface, until breasts register 160-165 deg, 15-20 min. Transfer breasts to plate. Add coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise & cloves to broth; cover, continue to simmer 1hr longer (check broth occasionally & adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer).
Transfer leg quarters to plate with breasts. Discard wings, backbone, neck, giblets & onion. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer. Rinse pot well & return broth to pot. (You should have roughly 12 c of broth; add water if necessary.) Stir in fish sauce, cover & keep warm over low heat.
For the Pho: Place noodles in large bowl. Bring 2 qts of water to boil in large pot. Pour boiling water over noodles, stir, cover & let sit until noodles are tender, 6-10 min. Drain noodles & rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Shred chicken, discarding skin & bones.
Place chicken & noodles into each bowl. Top with onion & scallions. Add broth. Serve immediately, passing bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapenos, hoisin & sriracha separately. Enjoy!
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated