Phở Gà Miền Bắc (Northern Vietnamese-Style Chicken Pho)
By Lan LamPublished on March 30, 2021
Time
2½ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Broth
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, neck and giblets reserved, liver discarded1 onion, halved1 (3-inch) piece ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise2 teaspoons table salt 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 2 whole cloves ¼ cup fish sauceSauce
⅓ cup fish sauce ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced1 Thai chile, stemmed and minced (optional)Phở
12 ounces dried rice noodles ½ small onion, sliced thin2 scallions, sliced thin6 makrut lime leaves, middle vein removed and leaves sliced thinFresh cilantro leaves and stemsThinly sliced serrano chilesBefore You Begin
Prepare the garnishes while the broth simmers. If you prefer a milder sauce, omit the Thai chile. Look for rice noodles labeled as bánh phở; if they're unavailable, substitute ⅛-inch-wide flat rice noodles or rice vermicelli. The broth will taste overseasoned on its own but will be balanced by the unsalted noodles and garnishes. Serve in large, deep soup bowls. The dipping sauce, nước mấm gứng, is not traditional, but some Vietnamese cooks like to include it.
Instructions
- For the broth: Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using sharp chef's knife, cut straight down through breastbone to make 2 halves. Working with 1 half at a time, separate leg quarter and wing from each breast.
- Transfer chicken parts, backbone, neck, and giblets to Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water, onion, ginger, and salt and 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 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer breasts to plate. Add coriander seeds and cloves to broth, cover, and continue to simmer 1 hour longer (check broth occasionally and adjust heat as necessary to maintain gentle simmer).
- For the sauce: While broth simmers, stir ⅔ cup hot water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, ginger, garlic, and Thai chile in bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Transfer leg quarters to plate with breasts. Discard wings, backbone, neck, giblets, and onion. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with double layer of cheesecloth. Rinse pot well and return broth to pot. (You should have about 12 cups broth.) Stir in fish sauce, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
- For the phở: Place noodles in large bowl and cover with water. Let sit until noodles are pliable, about 20 minutes. While noodles soak, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Drain noodles. Return broth to boil.
- Add noodles to boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until almost tender, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain immediately and divide among serving bowls. Place ⅓ cup chicken in each bowl (save remaining chicken for another use). Divide onion, scallions, and lime leaves among bowls. Add broth until chicken and noodles are covered by ½ inch, about 2 cups per bowl (save remaining broth for another use). Provide each diner with small bowl of dipping sauce and serve phở immediately, passing cilantro and serranos separately.
Time
2½ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Broth
Sauce
Phở
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Sauce
Phở
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Sauce
Phở
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Phở gà is the chicken version of Vietnam's famous beef noodle soup, named for its slippery rice noodles, bánh phở. We made ours by breaking down a whole bird into parts that packed more snugly in the Dutch oven and lessened the amount of water needed to cover the chicken, which shortened the time it took to reduce the liquid to a concentrated broth. With parts, we could also remove the white meat when it was cooked. Covering the pot for the majority of the cooking time prevented evaporation. To keep the broth clear, we skimmed the scum from the broth, simmered the broth gently, and strained it through cheesecloth. In keeping with northern Vietnamese diners’ preference for a savory and lightly spiced broth, we flavored ours with coriander seeds and cloves, adding the spices after we removed the chicken breasts from the pot. Before cooking, we soaked our noodles to remove starch from their surfaces so that they wouldn't stick together. We like this phở served with shredded makrut lime leaves and a ginger dipping sauce.
Before You Begin
Prepare the garnishes while the broth simmers. If you prefer a milder sauce, omit the Thai chile. Look for rice noodles labeled as bánh phở; if they're unavailable, substitute ⅛-inch-wide flat rice noodles or rice vermicelli. The broth will taste overseasoned on its own but will be balanced by the unsalted noodles and garnishes. Serve in large, deep soup bowls. The dipping sauce, nước mấm gứng, is not traditional, but some Vietnamese cooks like to include it.
Instructions
- For the broth: Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using sharp chef's knife, cut straight down through breastbone to make 2 halves. Working with 1 half at a time, separate leg quarter and wing from each breast.
- Transfer chicken parts, backbone, neck, and giblets to Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water, onion, ginger, and salt and 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 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer breasts to plate. Add coriander seeds and cloves to broth, cover, and continue to simmer 1 hour longer (check broth occasionally and adjust heat as necessary to maintain gentle simmer).
- For the sauce: While broth simmers, stir ⅔ cup hot water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, ginger, garlic, and Thai chile in bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Transfer leg quarters to plate with breasts. Discard wings, backbone, neck, giblets, and onion. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with double layer of cheesecloth. Rinse pot well and return broth to pot. (You should have about 12 cups broth.) Stir in fish sauce, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
- For the phở: Place noodles in large bowl and cover with water. Let sit until noodles are pliable, about 20 minutes. While noodles soak, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Drain noodles. Return broth to boil.
- Add noodles to boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until almost tender, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain immediately and divide among serving bowls. Place ⅓ cup chicken in each bowl (save remaining chicken for another use). Divide onion, scallions, and lime leaves among bowls. Add broth until chicken and noodles are covered by ½ inch, about 2 cups per bowl (save remaining broth for another use). Provide each diner with small bowl of dipping sauce and serve phở immediately, passing cilantro and serranos separately.
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