The Cookbook/Phở gà

Pho Ga is one of the culinary gems of Vietnamese cuisine, availiable within a mile radius of almost every person in the community of Little Saigon, a Vietnamese enclave located in Orange County, California. Although the flavors are complex, the technique is simple, and the result delicious.

INGREDIENTS

BROTH

1 small to medium chicken (whole)

12 cups chicken broth

3-4 slices of fresh ginger (whole)

1 medium brown onion, peeled (whole)

1 tbsp of salt or more (to taste)

Seasoning Pouch

1 tsp. fennel seed

3 whole star anaseed*

1-2 dried cardamom pods (seeds)*

1/2 stick cinammon

3 cloves

"Pho" noodles*

Finishing Touches

Equal parts diced cilantro and green onion

A few fresh basil leaves, torn, to taste

THINLY sliced brown onion (several pieces per serving, to taste)

Hoison Sauce (1 tsp per serving)

Lime, to taste (squeezed into broth before eating

NOTE: All ingredients, particularly those marked with asterisks, can be found in "Asian" markets and some large supermarkets

PROCEDURE

Combine ingredients for seasoning pouch in a cloth pouch (you can make one from cheescloth and twine) or a small strainer

In a large stock pot, boil broth ingredients together with seasoning pouch until the chicken is thoroughly cooked

Remove the chicken and strain broth back into the pot while continuing to simmer the broth. Once the chicken is cool, pull apart the meat into bite sized pieces and discard bones.

In a separate pot, boil the "Pho" noodles in sufficient water. Stop when they're no longer chewy (basically the way you'd boil spaghetti). Make sure you don't overdo it or the noodles will fall apart and you'll end up with porridge. When done, pour the noodles into a collander and "wash" them with lukewarm water. Then, leave them to drain.

Once the noodles have drained, add them to a bowl. Combine the chicken, "finishing touches" (see above), and enough broth to cover the noodles. Enjoy with fork (chopsticks if you want the authentic experience) and a spoon.