Pho (Vietnam)
Today, on World of Pasta, we now head deep into Southeast Asia in order to make what is one of the most recognizable and well known Vietnamese dishes out there, good old pho.
Pho is a very classic noodle soup that can have all sorts of different proteins like chicken or beef, can contain bean sprouts, can be topped with herbs and all sorts of other goodies, but of course the base for this soup, or any good soup for that matter, is the rich and stunning broth.
Pho broth is a Vietnamese treasure and typically takes a very long time to simmer, sometimes it’s even left to simmer overnight…but who, other than Vietnamese restaurant chefs, has time for that? I am about to share with you a cheat version that can hit the dinner table in less than an hour. The key here is to start with pre-made broth and build flavor from there.
Makes 4 servings plus extra broth
For the Broth
8 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 large onion, quartered unpeeled
1 whole head of garlic, horizontally cut in half
A 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut in half lengthwise
Vegetable oil
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pods of star anise (opt)
3 whole cloves
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (You can use breasts if you’d like or a mix of both)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
For Serving:
10 oz thin rice noodles
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1 cup or so bean sprouts
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
Thai basil leaves, Fresh cilantro leaves, Lime wedges and Hoisin sauce, for serving
Sriracha or any other chili sauce, if you dare
Preheat the broiler and line a large baking sheet with foil. Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan or stock pot, then start heating that over high.
Toss the onion, garlic, and ginger with some oil on the prepared sheet pan, then pop under the broiler for about 2 minutes, or until charred in spots. Add the veggies to the broth along with the spices and bring the broth to a boil.
Once boiling, drop the heat to a simmer then add in the chicken. If needed, add enough water to ensure the chicken is covered, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the broth is infused.
(Honestly, this is 90% of the work, just waiting for that broth to simmer)
While the broth simmers, place the rice noodles into a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave them for about 10 minutes to soak, or until they’re tender. Drain and divide amongst serving bowls.
(This is also a good time to get all of the garnishes together on a platter so it’s ready when your pho is ready)
Once the chicken is cooked, remove and, once cooled enough to handle, remove the skin, separate the meat from the bones, and either slice or shred the meat, your call. Divide the meat among the serving bowls.
Strain the broth into a separate pot, then stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar. To serve, pour ladlefuls of the broth over the noodles and chicken to cover. Top with sliced green onions, then serve with the other topping ingredients so your family can choose how they want to top their pho.
