Vietnamese · serves 2
Pho
The broth takes two hours and does it without you. The rest is assembly.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken or 1kg bones
- 2 onions, halved
- 4 inch ginger, halved lengthways
- Spices: 4 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 cardamom
- 3 tbsp fish or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 400g flat rice noodles
- Bean sprouts, basil, lime, chillies, spring onion
Method
- Char the onion and ginger directly on the flame until blackened on the cut sides. Skipping this gives you a pale, flat broth.
- Dry roast the whole spices till fragrant, then tie them in a cloth.
- Chicken, charred onion and ginger, spice bag and 4 litres water. Bring to a boil, then skim the foam off thoroughly.
- Barest simmer for 2 hours, uncovered, never boiling. Boiling makes it cloudy.
- Strain. Season with fish sauce, sugar and salt — season it harder than feels right, the noodles dilute it.
- Noodles in the bowl, shredded chicken, boiling broth over. Herbs, sprouts, lime and chilli at the table.