My wife and I fell in love over a bowl of pho nearly 15 years ago.
Though our romantic allegiance to the herbaceous soup has wavered over the years – shout-outs to shoyu ramen, kimchi jjigae, and the umami-laden intricacies of a kakejiru with fresh, bouncy udon noodles! – one constant opinion remains; the best chicken noodle soup for curing the mid-winter blues comes from Northern Vietnam.
I could wax poetically about this comfort broth for days. It’d take even longer to cover the actual origins of Pho Bo – the more commonly consumed sibling broth of the two – which was more or less concocted after the introduction of cattle to Vietnam during the French colonial rule.
Politics and cuisine will forever be entwined and pho is certainly no exception to the idea of “Delicious Silver Linings” arising from oft-devastating global circumstances.
Here’s a recipe I developed for a market stall my wife and I ran for one summer at MCFM back in 2017. Long live Abrothecary!
Pho Ga Broth w/ Duck Confit
1 Whole Kadejan chicken
1 Gallon Water
1/2 yellow onion, root intact
2” ginger knob, peeled
1 pod star anise
2 whole cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar (Demerara or brown works)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separate
Salt to taste
- Bring whole chicken to a boil with the gallon of water. Spend the first few minutes ladling out any of the scum to rise to the surface (shouldn’t be too much as Kadejan allows their birds to air dry, leading to a much cleaner broth!)
- Take your halved onion and ginger pieces and place them on a fork. Use this to char your ingredients (tongs also work). The charred, bitter aroma adds depth to your broth. Add to pot along with the spices.
- Allow to simmer for about 2 hours, skimming the surface to prevent a cloudy broth. Remove the chicken from the water and allow to chill. Shred the meat and reserve.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt to taste. This is the most difficult part! Really focus on finding that perfect balance between umami, sweet, and salt.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve that has the cilantro stems in it.
- Reserve for future use or serve with rice noodles, duck confit, and all your favorite accompaniments, such as, but not limited to: mung bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, thinly sliced jalapeño, and red onion. Feel free to spice it up with some sriracha or your favorite chili crisp.
