PHO HANOI STYLE

A glorious bowl of well being, this is a vibrant enriched soul nourishing bowl of broth, it covers all the needs for a fulfilling meal, noodles, chicken and a spicy aromatic zingy broth, no wonder Hanoi has the reputation for making the very best broths that enrich such understated ingredients.

(Serves 4)

(lots of left over poached chicken)

 

INGREDEINTS

1 onion halved

2 sticks clelery chopped

1 leek chopped

1 carrot chopped

3" piece of ginger whole

1 star anise

1 lemon

2 cloves

1/2 stick of cinnamon

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 whole chicken

4 ptn cooked flat rice noodles

1 red chilli sliced

4 spring onions fine sliced

Small bunch coriander torn

1 lemon quarted

Simple one pot cooking, all you need is slow time.  In a large pan put the chopped celery, leek, onion and carrot, untruss the chicken and place in the pan bring up to a gently simmer, meanwhile in a dry frying pan brown off the ginger and lemon and then add the pan along with the cloves, cinnamon and star anise.  Cook nice and slow on a gently heat if you have the time, this will produce a clear stock, if you dont have most of the day to leave this on the stove just ticking over, then cook at a rolling simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker or 1.30 hrs in a normal large pan.  Once cooked turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and leave the chicken in the stock to cool, this is a really good tip as the chicken cools it soaks up any stock it can making a really moist chicken.

 

Once cooled remove the chicken and pull off all the meat, I like to keep the legs and thighs whole as my husband likes to eat them as is from the fridge, I also keep all skin and bits off the chicken that I won't eat but my cat and dogs will enjoy.  This is one of those dishes that feeds everyone in my family, some way or another, with left over chicken for a pie, sandwiches or a pasta dish.

 

Seive the stock and return to a clean pan and bring to a simmer, skim off any fat.  In your serving bowls place a portion of the cooked noodles in each bowl and then sprinkle in some of the chicken, you don't need much a few ounces each is more than enough.  Pour in the glorious soul norishing stock and finish off with your own choice of spring onions, chillies, lemon juice and fresh coriander.

 

Hanoi's traditional recipe is with beef bones and fillet beef, the recipe is the same I just happened to have a whole chicken in the fridge and wanted to make this, you can also make this vegetarian.