Name: Thuy Pham’s chicken pho (phó gà)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: Dash vegetable oil; 2 onions, trimmed and halved (no need to peel); 8 shallots, topped and tailed (no need to peel); 1 banana (echalion) shallot, halved; 100g ginger, thickly sliced; 20g star anise; 20g cinnamon sticks; 2 tbsp coriander seeds; 1.5kg whole chicken; 1 daikon/mooli (about 30cm), peeled and cut into thick batons; 70ml fish sauce; 30g rock sugar or caster sugar; 2 tsp fine salt; 400g dried pho noodles; 200g beansprouts; 8 spring onions, finely sliced and kept in a bowl of iced water to crisp up; 1 red onion, finely sliced; 4 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced; 20g thai basil; 20g coriander; 8 tbsp crispy fried shallots; 1 lime, cut into cheeks or wedges; Hoisin sauce to serve; Sriracha to serve

Thuy Pham’s chicken pho (phó gà)

The king of noodle soups, Thuy Pham’s chicken pho offers everything you need on a cold evening. The combination of fresh toppings, tender poached chicken and slippery rice noodles are brought together by the deeply savoury, aromatic broth. Born in Vietnam, Thuy moved to the UK aged eight. Years later she went on to host a successful supper club with her husband, before running award-winning restaurant The Little Viet Kitchen in north London. Thuy’s focus now, she says, is on “being Mummy to baby Jacob, writing cookbooks and sharing food in as many ways as possible”. Her latest cookbook, Vietnamese Made Easy (Quadrille £22), is out now. Follow Thuy on Instagram. Discover more delicious Vietnamese recipes.

Dairy-freeFreezableGluten-free

Serves8

Hands-on15 min

Oven2 hours

DifficultyMedium

Method

Add a dash of oil to a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the onions, all the shallots and ginger pieces in a single layer,then cook for 6-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened and charred all over (see Thuy’s tips, below). Set aside.
Turn the heat down and add the star anise, cinnamon and coriander seeds to the same pan. Toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then set aside.
Pour 3.5 litres water into a large stockpot. Add the chicken and set over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 13 minutes, skimming off any froth that forms on the surface to remove impurities.
Add the charred onions, shallots and ginger, followed by the toasted whole spices and daikon. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface of the water once more.
Carefully transfer the chicken to a carving board. Carve off the breasts and legs and set aside. Return the chicken carcass to the pot and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in cold water for 30 45 minutes.
Lift out and discard the solids from the chicken pot, then strain the broth through a fine sieve into another pan. Return to the pot and add the fish sauce, sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then keep simmering over a low heat.
Bring a small pan of water to the boil and get your ingredients ready. Drain the noodles, then submerge them in the boiling water for just 4-6 seconds. Lift out and divide among warm serving bowls (see Thuy’s tips). In the same boiling water, add the beansprouts and blanch for 4-6 seconds, then drain.
Slice or tear the chicken breast and leg meat and arrange on top of the noodles. Ladle over lots of broth, then add the blanched beansprouts, the spring onions, red onion and chillies. Finish with a few sprigs of Thai basil and coriander, and a sprinkling of crispy shallots, then serve with lime wedges and the sauces for dipping the chicken pieces into.