Pho - Ga ( Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup )

I had my first Pho Ga during my trip to Vietnam - which in my mind is the best when it comes to bustling vibrant food markets and bubbling soup . These spaces come to life in the early hours of dawn and basket full of local vegetables , fresh herbs , buckets of live fish , bamboo presses with fresh tofu and food stalls swarm the entire place in a matter of minutes What was beautiful to observe was that cooking , commerce and community , all coexisted together in each of the cities that we visited in Vietnam . We were told that as per Vietnamese culture , since the late fifties , there used to be no beef and pork available on Mondays and Fridays and as a back up, the Chicken Pho was invented . Some Pho fanatics considered it a sacrilege to have Chicken Pho , while others warmed up to the lighter sweetness of the chicken meat and thus the debate between followers of beef and chicken pho rages across the country even today !

I consider the chicken pho more sophisticated with its clear broth , thinly shredded white meat and oodles of spring onion . For the best flavor , i suggest using broiler chicken as they make the best flavorsome broths.

Things you need ( Makes 02 bowls of Pho )

• 1 liter of home made chicken broth

• 100 gm shredded boiled chicken

• 01 packet of any kind of noodles , pre boiled

• Handful of green onion , finely sliced

• 1- 2 lime wedges

• 1- 2 chilies , finely chopped

• 01- 02 eggs , made into a plain omlette and thinly sliced

• Handful of coriander , finely chopped

For the broth seasoning :

• 02 cloves of garlic

• 02 star anise

• 01 pc cardamom

• 01 cinnamon stick

• 01 large onion

• 100 gm fresh ginger

• 02 tsp Gia ( which is 1 part sugar , 1 part sea salt , 1 part black pepper , 1 part garlic powder )

• 02 tbsp fish sauce

Steps to follow :

• In a large pan or stockpot , bring the chicken stock or broth to boil - add in the garlic cloves , star anise , cardamom , cinnamon and simmer on low heat .

• Char the whole onion and ginger over open flame and let the skin burn for 15 mins - remove the charred skin , wash and add them both to the broth .

• Simmer the broth for 30 mins , then strain to discard the onion , ginger and whole spices.

• Add the Gia mix to the broth along with the fish sauce and adjust the flavors and seasonings .

To assemble the Pho Bowl

• Arrange the shredded chicken and sliced omlette on the noodles

• Garnish with spring onion and coriander - add 01 tsp fish oil and finish with black pepper .

• Bring the broth to full boil and check seasoning one last time.

• Using a ladle , pour the broth into the bowl distributing evenly .

• Serve with lime wedges and fresh chilli to taste. Enjoy !