Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

FloridaNative's Note:

"You can judge how good a Pho soup is by how much concentrated flavor is packed in the broth while still retaining a clean, uncloudy, clear broth. There are 2 very important steps to a clear but intense broth – 1) parboiling the chicken to get rid of the impurities 2) charring the ginger and onion for a naturally sweet, robust flavor." This recipe by Nathan Lyon and posted for ZWT6.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0

• 1 three pound chicken, rinsed and dried
• water, as needed
• 2 three-inch pieces fresh ginger, 1 halved, the second grated with a microplane
• 2 onions, cut in half
• 3 whole cloves
• star anise
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 0.5 (10 ounce) bag rice noodles, thin
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 full stems fresh mint
• 2 full stems Thai basil
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• kosher salt
• basil

Directions:

1. In a heavy large pot over high heat add onions, cut end down, and 2 ginger halves. Allow to blacken. Add peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves.
2. Then add the chicken and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once water comes to a boil, add the fish sauce, allow to boil for 1 minute more then reduce the heat to low.
3. Simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked, 25-30 minutes. Do not overcook the chicken as it will be cooked further upon service.
4. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle safely, remove the meat from the bones, shred coarsely and set aside. Discard the bones. Strain the broth into a second pot and discard the solids.
5. Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until they are almost done, al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to remove excess starch. Drain well.
6. In large bowls, serve the noodles over a bed of fresh ginger, bean sprouts, Thai basil, fresh mint, cilantro, basil, and fresh lime juice. Top with pulled chicken. Lastly, ladle the hot broth over top and serve.