DIY Chicken Pho
DIY Pho
A tiny Vietnamese restaurant in an industrial stretch of Queens, New York, has become a cult favorite for its chicken-and-noodle soup. Here’s how to make it.
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Boil the water
In a large stockpot, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the chicken to the pot, breast side down.
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Submerge the chicken
Cover the chicken with a heatproof plate to keep it submerged and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken for 30 minutes.
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Chill the chicken
Prepare a large ice water bath. Transfer the chicken to the ice water to stop the cooking. The meat will be barely cooked through at this point; it will continue to cook in the finished soup.
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Toast the spices
In a heavy skillet, toast the spices with goji berries over moderately low heat, stirring, until very fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.
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Pan-roast the alliums
In the same dry skillet, cook the onion, leek and shallots over moderate heat, stirring, until deep golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes.
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Simmer the broth
Remove and shred all of the meat. Return the skin and bones to the pot and simmer, adding the pan-roasted alliums, spices and rock sugar in stages to develop flavor.
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Strain the broth
Strain the pho broth through a fine sieve into a large heatproof bowl.
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Fry the shallot garnish
Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Add thinly sliced shallots and fry, stirring frequently with a slotted spoon, until browned. Drain and let cool until crispy.
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Finish the pho
Add the chicken to the broth and simmer just until cooked through. Season the broth with fish sauce and salt. Ladle into bowls and add the noodles and garnishes.