Chicken Pho

I decided chicken pho sounded really good today. This time with a simple broth seasoned mostly with authentic Vietnamese pho spices.

Arrange the chicken legs in a lg. glass baking pan. Drizzle with EVOO and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Roast at 400° for a half hour, turn and season this side. Continue cooking for a total of 60-90 minutes, basting occasionally. Slice and stir-fried the following vegetables in 2T EVOO:

1 lg. carrot

1 stalk celery

1/2 lg. purple onion

3 lg. cloves of garlic

Start with the carrot and celery.

After a few minutes add the onion and garlic.

Put the vegetables and zest from 1/2 lemon in a small bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice.

Empty the spice packet into a pot and dry toast them, stirring continually, over medium heat just for a short time, until their scent is released. Remove from the heat. Be careful not to toast too long, or the spices will turn bitter.

2 cakes of millet-brown rice ramen

Cook the ramen in a 2 quart pot of boiling water, separating the noodles gently, until they're about half done.

Drain then rinse the noodles well in very cold water. Drain again until needed.

Put the toasted spices in the cloth bag included in the packet. Wash the pot and add about 48oz. of fresh cold water. Boil then shut off the heat. add the spice bag and let the spices 'steep' 10 minutes then remove and discard the spices. 

Add 60oz. chicken bone broth, vegetables, lemon zest and juice, the sliced greens from a small Romaine lettuce and sliced celery greens. Bring this to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 6oz. of the roasted chicken and the noodles. Heat again to a simmer for a few minutes to be sure the chicken and noodles have warmed. Check the broth for flavor. Mine only needed a couple tablespoons of chicken Better Than Bouillon to round out the flavors.

This is such a nice, mild, healthy soup. . .Lin

My First Chicken Pho Adventure. . .

1-2T truffle infused EVOO

5 lg. cloves garlic - sliced

1½c celery - sliced very thin

6oz. sliced mushrooms

chopped celery tops

1 med. carrot - shredded

3 lg. green onions - sliced thin

In a 3 quart, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil then add that group of vegetables.  They should immediately snap and sizzle if the oil temperature is right.  Reduce the heat, stir-saute' these for a few minutes, then add the next group.  Stir until everything quietly sizzles, add a cup or so of the bone broth, cover and let simmer only a few minutes.  Take off the heat, uncover and set aside while you flavor and heat the bone broth.

1 qt. homemade chicken bone broth

2T fish sauce

1T dry cilantro

2t pumpkin pie spice

2T Better Than Bouillon

~ mushroom or chicken flavor

1-2t coconut sugar or brown sugar
4 cubes of candied ginger - chopped

½t each: cinnamon, chipotle pepper

~ onion and garlic powder

1 lemon - juice and zest

4c chopped kale

6-8 oz. thin rice noodles

shredded meat from 4 cooked chicken legs

In a 6-8 quart pot, put about a cup of the bone broth.  Add all the rest of this group and whisk them well.  Stir in the remaining broth, and another 4-6 cups of fresh cold water.  Bring this to a simmer, then add the kale and noodles.  Simmer on low heat 10 minutes or until the kale and noodles are almost done.  Add the chicken, the previously sautéed vegetables, and again, just bring it to a simmer.  Check flavors.  Add more water, pepper, soup base or whatever may be needed.  Ladle the hot Pho into bowls and top with fresh, sliced cilantro leaves ☘️

This was such fun!! 😁

I can't remember ever having Pho, at a restaurant, and I know I've never made it.  It's come up in several conversations recently, so I decided to have A Mini-Vietnam-Adventure

! - - in my kitchen - - !

I consulted several recipes to get ideas, and understand the flavor palette I needed to achieve.  There are things I would have added, if I had them, and those I altered and omitted.

My Pho is similar to others, but this is my version of it.  I like it!  Now I need to get some of the real thing, from Taste of Saigon, here in the Dewitt Seitz building, near the shipping canal in downtown Duluth.  Then I'll know what to add or change, for future, steamy pots of this great ethnic soup.

Be Bold!  Be Creative! - - Happy Cooking 😊 . . . Lin