Favorite Recipe:Chicken Pho

Quick and light

Ingredients:

¾ Inch (2 cm) section ginger root

2 Medium- large green onions

1 very small (½ oz |15g) bunch cilantro sprigs

1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds

1 Whole clove

3 ½ to 4 Cups (840 ml to 1l) low-sodium chicken broth 

2 cups (480 ml) water

6 to 8 ounces (180 to 225g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

5 ounces (150 g) dried narrow flat rice noodles

2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce

About ½ teaspoon organic sugar, or 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

Pepper (optional)

Optional Extras: Beans sprouts, mint sprigs, Thai basil, cilantro leaves, lime wedges, thinly sliced chilli peppers

Instructions:

1. Prepare the broth ingredients: Peel then slice the ginger into 4 or 5 coins. Smack with the flat side of a knife or meat mallet; set aside.
2. Thinly slice the green parts of the green onion to yield 2 or 3 tablespoons; set aside for garnish. Cut the leftover sections into pinkie finger lengths, bruise, then add to the ginger.
3. Coarsely chop the leafy tops of the cilantro to yield 2 tablespoons; set aside for garnish. Set the remaining cilantro sprigs aside.
4. Toast the broth ingredients: In a 3 to 4 quart (3 to 4l) pot, toast the coriander seeds and clove over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and green onion sections.
5. Stir for about 30 second, until aromatic.
6. Add the broth and bring to a simmer: Slide the pot off heat, wait 15 seconds or so to briefly cool, then pour in the broth.
7. 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.
8. The chicken from the broth: After 5 to 10 minutes of simmering, the chicken should be firm and cooked through (press on it and it should slightly yield).
9. Continue to simmer the broth without the chicken for another 15 to 20 minutes (for a total of 30 minutes simmering time).
10. Shred the chicken: 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.
11. Cover loosely to prevent drying. *Tip: If the chicken isn’t quite cooked through when you begin to shred it, just split it into a few pieces and put it back in the broth for another few minutes until cooked through.
12. The split pieces will quickly cook through.
13. Soak the rice noodles in hot water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and set aside
14. Strain the broth: When the broth is done, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer positioned over a 2 quart (2 liter) pot; line the strainer with muslin for superclear broth. Discard the solids.
15. You should have abou 4 cups
16. Season with fish sauce and sugar (or maple syrup), if needed to create a strong savory-sweet note.
17. Finish the pho: 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.
18. Lift the noodles from the pot and divide between the 2 bowls. Pour the hot broth over the noodles
19. 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 sprinkling of pepper. Taste and adjust the broth’s saltiness one last time.

Makes 2 Services

Recipe from Emma Christenson, (Amazon – Echo)