Pho ga with charred ginger and onion
Vietnamese chicken noodle soup with tender poached chicken, flat rice noodles and a clear, golden broth scented with charred ginger, onion and restrained toasted spices. Finish with spring onions, coriander and lime. Allow about 2½ hours, with extra time possible depending on chicken doneness and noodle instructions.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Remove any giblets and put the chicken breast-side down in the stockpot. Add 2.8 litres cold water, with up to 300 ml extra only if needed to cover it, and heat towards a gentle simmer; allow about 20 minutes. Do not wash the chicken. Wash your hands and clean anything touched by raw poultry. While the water heats, prepare the onions, ginger, spring onions, coriander, lime wedges and optional chilli using clean utensils. Refrigerate the garnishes until serving. Read the noodle packet now so any soaking can happen during poaching.
- No timer needed
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high; this uses the grill, not a conventional or fan oven setting. Place the onion and ginger cut-side up on the lined tray, about 8–10 cm below the element. Grill for 12–18 minutes, turning as needed, until deeply browned with patches of blackening. Watch closely and ventilate the kitchen. Remove loose soot and brittle burnt flakes, retaining the browned flesh.
- No timer needed
While the aromatics grill, heat a small dry frying pan over medium heat and toast the coriander seeds, star anise and cinnamon for 60–90 seconds, shaking until fragrant but not smoking. Set aside. As the chicken water approaches a simmer, skim off the grey foam. Add the charred aromatics, toasted spices, 4 g salt and 8 g sugar. Adjust the heat so only occasional small bubbles break the surface.
- 50:00
Poach with the lid ajar, keeping the bird submerged and avoiding a rolling boil. Start checking after 50 minutes; a bird this size commonly needs 50–65 minutes. Check both the thickest breast and inner thigh, clear of bone: each must reach 75°C for 30 seconds, or 70°C for 2 minutes. The joints should loosen and the meat should separate readily, but these cues do not replace the temperature check. Lift the cooked bird onto a clean tray. If the breast is done before a joint, remove the cooked breast with clean utensils and return the underdone joint to the broth until it reaches the safe endpoint. Extend the schedule if further cooking is needed.
- 12:00
Rest the chicken for 10–15 minutes, loosely covered, while the broth continues at a gentle simmer. Once cool enough to handle safely, remove the meat in bite-sized slices or shreds, checking carefully for small bones. Allow about 10 minutes for picking. Keep the meat covered while finishing the soup.
- 15:00
Return the picked carcass, wing bones and any unwanted skin to the broth. Simmer gently for a further 15 minutes, without vigorous stirring. Keep the cooked meat out of the pot during this stage so it does not dry out.
- No timer needed
During poaching, soak the noodles if the packet requires it, then drain as directed. Once the picked carcass is back in the broth, bring a separate pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the packet, aiming to finish them just before straining the broth. They should be tender but still distinct. Drain thoroughly, rinse if directed by the packet and set aside briefly, out of the broth.
- No timer needed
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into the finishing saucepan of at least 4 litres, without pressing the solids. Skim excess surface fat, leaving a little for flavour. Boil a kettle of fresh water for topping up and warming the bowls. Measure the broth and top up with boiling water to 2.4 litres; if substantially above that volume, reduce uncovered before seasoning, allowing extra time. Stir in 30 ml fish sauce, then add up to the remaining 10 ml gradually to taste. The broth should taste slightly more assertively seasoned than soup served without noodles. Bring briefly to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- 02:00
Add the cooked chicken to the simmering broth and heat for about 2 minutes, or until steaming hot throughout. Meanwhile, warm four heatproof bowls, each holding at least 1.2 litres, with hot water and empty them. Divide the noodles between the bowls, loosening gently with a little hot broth if needed, then add the chicken and approximately 600 ml broth per bowl. Leave headroom below the rims. Finish with the prepared spring onions and coriander and serve immediately with lime wedges and optional chilli.
Chef tips
- The schedule assumes the chicken reaches its safe endpoint at the first check. A bird needing 65 rather than 50 minutes of poaching adds 15 minutes; delay the finishing tasks accordingly.
- For clear broth, skim early, avoid a rolling boil and do not press the strained solids. A light golden sheen of fat is desirable.
- Blackened patches give roasted flavour; aromatics reduced to ash make the broth bitter. Remove loose burnt flakes before adding them.
- Set the broth volume before the final seasoning. If weak, reduce before adding fish sauce; if too salty, dilute with boiling water and accept a slightly larger yield.
- Noodle soaking and cooking times vary substantially. Follow the packet rather than treating the scheduled 30-minute soak and 4-minute cook as universal.
- Keep noodles out of the broth until assembly. If they clump during the brief wait, loosen gently with the first ladle of hot broth before adding the remaining soup.
Equipment check
- Snug 6-litre stockpot with lid, approximately 22–24 cm wide
- Grill and foil-lined metal tray
- Tongs and skimming spoon
- Small frying pan
- Instant-read food thermometer
- Clean tray, carving board and knife
- Fine sieve and finishing saucepan holding at least 4 litres
- Measuring jug and kettle
- Separate 3–4-litre saucepan and colander for noodles
- Bowl for soaking noodles if required by the packet
- Four heatproof serving bowls, each holding at least 1.2 litres
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This phở gà makes four generous main-course bowls. Aim for a clear, chicken-led broth with roasted onion sweetness, warming ginger and a light coriander-and-anise fragrance. Gentle poaching keeps the chicken moist; early skimming and straining without pressing help keep the broth clear. Add lime at the table rather than to the stockpot.
Ingredient notes
A fully thawed, 1.5 kg whole chicken supplies both meat and broth. Expect roughly 550–650 g cooked, boneless meat, depending on the bird. Use a snug 6-litre stockpot, a finishing saucepan of at least 4 litres and four bowls holding at least 1.2 litres each: the chicken and noodles need room as well as the broth. Fish sauce varies in saltiness, so adjust it only after setting the finished broth volume.
Read the noodle packet before starting. The schedule allows a 30-minute soak and a 4-minute cook; follow your brand's actual directions and adjust the overlap accordingly. For fresh flat rice noodles, replace 300 g dried with approximately 600–700 g fresh and follow their heating instructions. Boneless chicken breast is not a direct substitute for the whole bird.
Allergens: fish sauce contains fish and may also contain wheat or soya. Check sauce and noodle labels for relevant dietary requirements.
Serving & storage
Serve immediately, with lime wedges and optional chilli alongside. Keep leftover broth, chicken and noodles separate. Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder; use chicken and broth within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Cool cooked rice noodles as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout, then add fresh garnishes.
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