HOW TO MAKE VIETNAMESE CHICKEN PHO | PHỞ GÀ
For a lot of Viet Nam, pho is a very typical meal … like pizza! But here in America, pho is probably one of the most popular and well-known meals of Vietnamese cuisine. And like pizza, there are many ways to cook up a bowl of pho. Everyone has their own personal preferences, so each bowl of pho is going to taste slightly different than the last. But the most important part of the meal, and what makes each bowl of pho unique, is the broth.
I make it a goal to make sure my broth is sweet. My secret ingredient? Fruits. Sweet fruits, to be exact. Sweet fruits that won’t turn to mush when cooked. I usually have apples and Asian pears in my fridge, so those all go into the pot. You don’t need to I also don’t add too much seasoning to the broth. It’s perfectly okay—and actually, recommended—that the broth doesn’t taste “just right” for your taste buds. It’s okay that the broth is a bit plain. If you’re cooking for a group of people, everyone’s taste buds are going to differ. When it comes time to serve, that’s when each person’s individual seasoning preferences can be placed in their own separate bowl.
It’s also important to make sure the chicken is thoroughly clean before adding it to the pot. This recipe will have you wash the chicken twice. Once with vinegar and salt, and once more with boiled water. A well-cleaned chicken is going to ensure a clearer broth.
Just like the cold chicken recipe, you’ll want to use an empress/walking chicken for this recipe as well—use a chicken with little/no fat if possible. Most Vietnamese chicken pho you’ll find in America uses chicken meat that is knife-cut because it’s convenient to mass-produce. The “authentic” way to make Vietnamese chicken pho, though, is to actually tear or shred the chicken meat using your hands. Sometimes clean-cut isn’t always the best way to go about something…
If there is time between when the broth is finished cooking and serving, depending on the length of time, it’s alright to leave the broth on the stove at the lowest heat setting. This way, it’ll be faster to bring it to a soft boil before adding the broth to the noodles.
Speaking of the noodles—I’ve recently come up with a much quicker and efficient way to prepare the rice noodles. For the last few decades, to soften them, I would rinse the noodles and bean sprouts in boiling water. I recently experienced a few different techniques and a ziplock bag and microwave was the winner!
Vietnamese chicken pho is such a common meal in our household, that I’ve been making it for decades without actually ever knowing the exact measurements of any of the ingredients! This recipe took a long time to jot down because there are so many little steps. If you make this, please let me know if you have any questions!
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Ingredients
- 1 whole empress/walking chicken
- 1 kg (32 oz) fresh rice stick noodles (approx. 2 bags)
- 2 sweet apples
- 2 pears
- 1 small green papaya
- 1/2 white cabbage
- 1 kg (2 lbs) bean sprouts
- 1 white onion
- 50 grams (2 oz) ginger
- 25 grams (1 oz) garlic
- 50 grams (2 oz) shallots
- 30 grams (2 tbsp) salt
- vinegar & salt (to wash the chicken)
- 30 grams (1 oz) white rock sugar
- 30 grams (2 tbsp) Vietnamese chicken flavored soup base
- 1 package Vietnamese special spices for pho
- 5 liters (17 cups) water
- 1 cheesecloth strainer bag
- 1 large ziplock bag
SEASONINGS—
- 50 grams (3 tbsp) sugar
- 50 grams (3 tbsp) mushroom seasoning
- pepper
DIPPING SAUCE—
- 7-8 red chili pepper
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce
SIDES—
- 2 limes/lemons
- 1 batch scallion
- 1 batch Vietnamese coriander (cilantro can be used as an alternative)
- 100 grams (3 oz) Thai basil
- 150 grams (1/2 cup) fried onion
Instructions
PREP—
- Wash and peel white onion. Cut into 6 pieces. Place onto an oven pan.
- Wash and peel shallots and garlic. Add to an oven pan.
- Wash ginger. Slice into smaller pieces. Add to the same oven pan.
- Place pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Peel and remove seeds from apples, papaya, and pears. Along with the cabbage, set aside.
- Using scissors—cut fresh rice stick noodles into smaller lengths, approx. 13 cm. Set aside.
- Wash the chicken with vinegar and salt. Raise with water. Set aside in a large bowl or pot.
COOKING THE CHICKEN & BROTH—
- In a large cooking pot—add the 5 liters of water and set to medium-high heat.
- Boil water, either in another pot or kettle. Pour boiled water over chicken. Use the boiled water to give the chicken a second wash.
- When the water in the cooking pot starts to boil, add chicken, fruits, and cabbage.
- Add salt and rock sugar.
- Place baked vegetables onto a cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth with a tight knot. Add to the cooking pot.
- Keep an eye on the broth—skim the impurities from the chicken that'll float up while the broth is simmering. This will help ensure a clear broth.
- Cook the chicken broth for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is done.
- Remove chicken. Set aside to cool.
- Decrease broth to low heat—this is important!
- When the chicken cools—remove bones from the chicken and place bones back in the broth.
- Continue keeping an eye on the broth—do not fully close the pot with a lid to avoid overspilling.
- Using your hands—tear the chicken meat into small, edible pieces. Discard the skin if preferred. Set aside.
- 1 hour before serving—add a package of special spices for pho. Be careful; do not let the package break!
- Continue to cook the broth for an hour on low heat.
- After the hour, remove everything from the broth—leaving the broth clear. Use a filter if needed.
- Add the soup base.
- The broth is done when the soup base dissolves. The broth should be clear.
HOW TO MAKE THE SIDES & DIPPING SAUCE—
- Wash remaining vegetables.
- Dice scallion leaves and coriander. Combine and set aside.
- Cut limes/lemons into 6 pieces, avoiding the core.
- Using scissors—cut red chili peppers into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine with fish sauce.
PREPPING THE NOODLES—
- Wash approx. 115 grams noodles and 85 grams bean sprouts under running water.
- Place noodles and bean sprouts in a ziplock bag. Don't close the bag completely; leave a small opening for air pressure to release.
- Microwave for 70-90 seconds, according to your microwave settings.
- Repeat for each separate serving.
SERVING—
- Bring broth to a soft boil before serving—this is important!
- Place noodles and bean sprouts into a serving bowl—18 oz or bigger is recommended.
- Add desirable-amount of chicken (approx. 85 grams.)
- Add desirable-amounts of sugar and mushroom seasoning (approx. 5 grams each.)
- Add desirable-amount of broth. Covering the noodles is recommended.
- Add desirable-amounts of scallion leaves and coriander combination, pepper, and fried onions.
- Serve with a separate plate of the sides: limes/lemons, Thai basil, and red chili dipping sauce.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you don't have an oven to bake the vegetables, "BBQing" them over the stove works just as well. Cooking instructions for noodles and steps 2-6 of serving instructions are intended to make one bowl. Repeat for additional bowls.