DIY Chicken 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.

In a large stockpot, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the chicken to the pot, breast side down.

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.

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.

In a heavy skillet, toast the spices with goji berries over moderately low heat, stirring, until very fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same dry skillet, cook the onion, leek and shallots over moderate heat, stirring, until deep golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes.

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.

Strain the pho broth through a fine sieve into a large heatproof bowl.

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.

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.