Vietnamese Fragrant Chicken Rice Noodle Pho Ga

Keep 1000 g bone-in raw chicken thighs cold on a dedicated board. Halve 250 g onion and slice 60 g ginger 1 cm thick. Char cut faces of onion and ginger in a dry pan on medium-high for 5–7 minutes.

In a small skillet with 12 ml oil, gently toast three star anise, 5 g cinnamon, three cloves, 4 g coriander seeds and 3 g fennel seeds for 1–2 minutes; avoid burning. Transfer to a spice sachet.

Bring 2000 ml water, chicken, charred onion and ginger, and sachet to a gentle boil. Lower heat and simmer 50–60 minutes partly covered, skimming foam. Verify the thickest chicken meat measures at least 74°C away from the bone.

Move fully cooked chicken to a clean bowl and let cool just enough to handle. Remove skin, bones and cartilage, shred the meat and check carefully for small bone fragments. Strain the broth to remove spices, bones and vegetable solids; add 35 ml fish sauce, 20 g sugar and 3 g salt, simmer five minutes and keep hot.

Boil 320 g rice noodles separately per packet, typically 5–8 minutes, until tender. Blanch 180 g bean sprouts in boiling broth for 1–2 minutes. Divide noodles, cooked chicken, sprouts and 50 g sliced scallions among four bowls. Ladle over boiling-hot broth and finish with 25 g washed cilantro and wedges from one lime.