Pho ga

TIME3 hours MAKES4 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

Phở, a rice noodle soup dish consisting of a clear, meaty broth (similar to a French consommé), alongside fresh herbs and spices, originated in Northern Vietnam around the turn of the 20th century. While its origins are murky (although likely connected to similar beef noodle soup dishes in neighbouring regions, melding both French and Chinese culinary techniques and spices), it has since become one of the most well known and ubiquitous Vietnamese dishes outside of Vietnam (alongside bánh mì).

Here I have a simple, almost one-pot pressure cooker recipe for phở gà (chicken pho)1, sped up considerably by using a pressure cooker. This recipe adapts and blends elements from both the Serious Eats and New York Times recipes for phở gà.

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • 300g chicken feet
  • 2 medium yellow onions (halved, roots removed)
  • 2 inches of ginger (sliced)
  • Coriander stems
  • 1 lemongrass (cut into 2 inch segments)
  • 2 tbsp rock or demerara sugar
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce

Spices

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 4 star anise
  • 4 cloves

To serve

  • 4 servings of dried rice noodles (about 0.75cm wide)
  • Coriander leaves
  • Mint leaves
  • Thai basil leaves
  • Spring onions (thinly sliced)
  • Beansprouts
  • Red chilli (sliced)
  • Lime wedges
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Sriracha

STEPS

Broth

  1. Add a generous amount of oil to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Set it to sauté mode on high heat (if using an electric pressure cooker) and add the onion and ginger. Leave for about 5-6 minutes until charred.

  2. Add the chicken feet, coriander stems, drumsticks2, lemongrass, sugar, fish sauce3, and spices. Pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.

  3. When done, leave the pressure cooker to release naturally — this will avoid the broth boiling, and preserve its clarity. This should take about 30-45 minutes. Carefully remove the drumsticks, and shred the meat with two forks. Strain the broth (removing all solids) and return to the stove on low heat to keep warm — season to taste with more fish sauce as necessary4.

To serve

  1. Warm the serving bowls by either microwaving them, placing them in an oven that has been preheated at the lowest temperature, or filling with boiling water from the kettle.

  2. Cook the rice noodles in boiling water as per the package directions. Once down, strain and rinse under cold water (this removes excess starch, which may cloud the phở broth).

  3. Place the noodles in the warmed bowls, and ladle over the hot broth. Serve with the fresh herbs, lime, chilli, and sauces.

NOTES

  1. For a traditional beef pho, you can replace the chicken drumsticks and feet with beef bones plus a whole boneless beef cut suitable for braising, such as chuck or brisket. When serving, add slices of the braised beef, alongside thin slices of raw steak (such as sirloin) which will cook in the hot broth. ↩︎
  2. Aim to have the drumstick near the top, to make it easy to remove after cooking without disturbing the broth or losing meat. ↩︎
  3. If I have some on hand, I like to also add some shoyu tare for additional umami. ↩︎
  4. Err on the saltier/more seasoned side, as the rice noodles will temper the saltiness. ↩︎

Related