Andrea Nguyen's Quick Chicken Pho Recipe
Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook, joined us on the show last night to talk about pho! Look out for the show notes on the blog later this week. In the meantime, cook the cover of her new book with this Quick Chicken Pho recipe she has very generously shared with Feast Meets West listeners.
By Andrea Nguyen
Great for pho beginners, this recipe is also terrific for cooks in a hurry. It involves less than 45 minutes, during which you’ll doctor up store-bought broth so it says, “I’m pho-ish.” Choose a broth that tastes like chicken, such as Swanson brand, which is less fussed up and easy to manipulate. You need two 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans or one 32-ounce (907 ml) carton. Stocked at many supermarkets, La Baleine sea salt, Annie Chun pad Thai rice noodles, and Megachef fish sauce work well for this recipe.
Quick Chicken Pho (phở gà nhanh)
Serves 2
Takes about 40 minutes
- 3⁄4-inch (2 cm) section ginger
- 2 medium-large green onions
- 1 very small (.5 oz | 15 g) bunch cilantro sprigs
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 whole clove
- 3 1⁄2 to 4 cups (840 ml to 1 l) low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 1 (6 to 8 oz | 180 to 225 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh
- About 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 ounces (150 g) dried narrow flat rice noodles
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- About 1⁄2 teaspoon organic sugar, or 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
- Pepper (optional)
- Optional extras: Bean sprouts, chile slices, mint sprigs, Thai basil, hoisin, sriracha, or Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce (see Notes below)
Peel then slice the ginger into 4 or 5 coins. Smack with the flat side of a knife or meat mallet; set aside. Thinly slice the green parts of the green onion to yield 2 to 3 tablespoons; set aside for garnish. Cut the leftover sections into pinkie-finger lengths, bruise, then add to the ginger.
Coarsely chop the leafy tops of the cilantro to yield 2 tablespoons; set aside for garnish. Set the remaining cilantro sprigs aside.
In a 3- to 4-quart (3 to 4 l) pot, toast the coriander seeds and clove over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and green onion sections. Stir for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Slide the pot off heat, wait 15 seconds or so to briefly cool, then pour in the broth.
Return the pot to the burner, then add the water, cilantro sprigs, chicken, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to gently simmer for 30 minutes.
While the broth simmers, soak the rice noodles in hot water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
After 5 to 10 minutes of simmering, the chicken should be firm and cooked through (press on it and it should slightly yield). Transfer the chicken to a bowl, flush with cold water to arrest the cooking, then drain. Let cool, then cut or shred into bite-size pieces. Cover loosely to prevent drying.
When the broth is done, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer positioned over a 2-quart (2 l) pot; line the strainer with muslin for superclear broth. Discard the solids. You should have about 4 cups (1 l). Season with fish sauce and sugar (or maple syrup), if needed, to create a strong savory-sweet note.
Bring the strained broth to a boil over high heat. Put the noodles in a noodle strainer or mesh sieve and dunk in the hot broth to heat and soften, 5 to 60 seconds. Lift the noodles from the pot and divide between the 2 bowls.
Lower the heat to keep the broth hot while you arrange the chicken on top of the noodles and garnish with the chopped green onion, cilantro, and a sprinkling of pepper. Taste and adjust the broth’s saltiness one last time. Return the broth to a boil and ladle into the bowls. Enjoy with any extras, if you like.
Notes: For a gingery sauce to dip the chicken as you eat, combine 1 packed tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, generous 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded Fresno or jalapeño chile. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
Credits:
Recipe from Andrea Nguyen’s The Pho Cookbook (Ten Speed Press, 2017)
Photo by John Lee
