Hanoi Pho (Chicken)

Hanoi Pho (Chicken) © kvalifood.com

This is a home-style chicken pho from Hanoi. The broth is built on charred onion and ginger, whole spices, and a long simmer. Broth made this way turns out clear and fragrant. The recipe is based on notes from a Hanoi cooking class.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Broth

  • 500 g chicken bones and carcass (or a whole chicken, divided)
  • 500 g onions (about 4 medium), halved
  • 50 g fresh ginger (1 piece), halved lengthways
  • 100 g shallots (6-8 small)
  • 2.5 l water

Spice bundle

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 1 handful star anise (about 6-8 pods)

Seasonings

  • 75 ml fish sauce
  • salt, to taste

To serve

  • 500 g fresh rice noodles (or dried, soaked)
  • 200 g chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • 50 g spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 50 g onion, thinly sliced
  • 50 g bean sprouts
  • 50 g coriander
  • 50 g Vietnamese saw-tooth herb (culantro), optional
  • red chili, sliced, for serving
  • lime wedges, for serving
  • fish sauce, for serving

Directions

Build the broth

  1. Char the onions, shallots, and ginger directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill until the cut sides are lightly blackened. This takes 5-10 minutes. Don’t burn them through - just colour them.
  2. Toast the spices in a dry pan for about 1 minute until fragrant. Tie them in a piece of muslin or cheesecloth to make a spice bag.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken bones and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones under cold water - this removes impurities and keeps the broth clear.
  4. Return the bones to the pot with 2.5 litres of fresh water. Add the charred onions, ginger, shallots, and the spice bag. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for at least 2 hours.
  5. After 2 hours, season the broth with fish sauce and salt. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the solids.

Assemble and serve

  1. Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer. Briefly poach the sliced chicken breast in the broth - about 1-2 minutes.
  2. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Divide between bowls.
  3. Top with the chicken, sliced spring onion, onion, bean sprouts, and coriander.
  4. Pour hot broth over to cover the noodles. Serve with lime, chili, and fish sauce on the side.

Notes

  • Charring the aromatics is what gives pho its distinctive flavour. Don’t skip this step.
  • For beef pho, replace the chicken with thinly sliced beef fillet and use beef bones. Simmer the bones for at least 4 hours.
  • Raw sliced beef can be placed on top of the noodles and left to cook in the hot broth - this gives a medium-rare result.