How to cook Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodles Soup

Posted by Sturinsun's world on June 1, 2011 · 7 Comments 

Trang Thi Thu Vu

Mr. Radebaugh

Composition

Asian University for Women

(Process Essay)

 

Every nation has different typical dishes. For example, Japan is famous for Sushi; Korea is known with Kim chi; and Vietnam is Pho – Vietnamese Noodles Soup.  There are two types of Pho that is Pho Bo – Vietnamese Beef Noodles Soup and Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodles Soup. In this paper, I want to introduce about how to cook Pho Ga. I think Pho Ga is a tasty dish, so it will be interesting if you can cook it.

Before you cook any dishes, of course, you need ingredients. For Pho Ga, you certainly need chicken, exactly a whole chicken. Chicken is a popular ingredient which you can find in any markets or supermarkets. However, in order for you to cook a delicious chicken noodles soup bowl, you should know a few tips to choose a good and healthy chicken. When you buy chicken, you must notice the thickness of the meat; the thicker the chicken you buy the more meat you get. You also don’t buy a frozen chicken because the protein in this chicken is broken down; natural juice is also lost; and tenderness is reduced (Sharon Supriya, 2010). The second thing you need is rice noodles. You can use fried rice noodles or fresh rice noodles, but it will be better if you use fresh noodles. You can find this type of noodles in Chinese or Vietnamese markets. However, if you can’t find fresh noodles, you can use thin fried rice noodles (1/8 inch) instead (“Vietnamese Noodles 101: Banh Pho Flat Rice Noodles”, 2010). Another thing is also important is Nuoc Mam – Vietnamese Fish Sauce. They are sold in Vietnamese grocery stores. If you can find it, you should choose “Phu Quoc” or “Phan Thiet” branches because these are two high quality fish sauce labels (“How to Buy Fish Sauce: A Guide”, 2010). Nevertheless, it is so difficult to find out these types of fish sauce outside of Vietnam. If you can’t find them, you can use other fish sauce labels you know. For broth spices, you need a whole unpeeled onion cut in half, two whole coriander seeds, 3-inch chunk of ginger, four whole cloves, two whole star anise, small bunch of cilantro stem only tied in bunch with twine. You also don’t forget accompaniments at table which are two cups bean sprout washed and their tails pinched off, cilantro tops-leaves and tenders stems, ½  cup shaved onions, ½ lime cut into four wedges, sliced chili, Sriracha hot sauce, and Hoisin sauce.

After having enough ingredients, you should prepare everything before you cook. You should clean chicken and let it drain off water. If you use dried noodles, you must put it in water to make it soft, and then boil it. However, you must not boil for too long because the noodles will be crushed down. You also have to clean and dry coriander seeds, cloves, star anise, cilantro and bean sprouts. When everything is ready, you can start to cook Pho Ga (“Pho Ga: Vietnamese Chicken Noodles Soup”, 2010).

First you place onion and ginger and burn them with oil in a pan until they char and release their fragrance. Next you carve the chicken breast meat off and lay aside. With the rest of chicken, you use a sharp cleaver to whack hard through bones in order to get marrow. You can whack several places along the bones to get more marrow. Then you put whacked chicken into a stockpot filled with water and boil it. When the water boils, there is a lot of foam come up to the surface; you must remove the foam. After few minutes, you add breast meat, onion, ginger and spices – coriander seeds, cloves, star anise, sugar, fish sauce, cilantro stems – into the pot, turn heat to high in order to boil. You should prop lid up so that steam can escape. After boiling 15 minutes, remove the chicken breast and shred it with your fingers. Besides, you continue skimming the foam of the broth and simmering about an hour. You can also taste again to make sure the broth is tasty for you.

Now, are you ready to eat? Put rice noodles into a bowl; add shredded chicken on the top. Then spread the broth into the bowl. Bean sprouts, cilantro tops-leaves and tender stems, shaved onion, and lime should be put in a plate, and you will eat these vegetables with Pho. If you want your noodles soup bowl to have a little spicy and sour flavor, you can add chili and lime. You also can eat with Hoisin or Sriracha hot sauce if they make you feel more delicious.

Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodles Soup is the most famous dish of Vietnam. If you taste it, you can’t forget the purity of the chicken broth with its flavor and aroma. Moreover, the softness of the rice noodles and chicken makes it easier for you to eat even though you are sick. Now, don’t wait any more, you can try to cook this dish and enjoy it.

 Word Cited

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July 14, 2007. Web. Nov 28, 2010.

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WanderingChopsticks. “Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)”.

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<http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2006/10/pho-ga-chicken-pho-i-bought-cast-iron.htlm>

Sharon Supriya. “How To Choose And Cook Good Chicken?”.

Oneindialing. March 4, 2010. Web. Now 28, 2010.

<http://living.oneindia.in/cookery/tips-tricks/2010/chicken-cooking-tips.html >

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Viet World Chickken. “How to Buy Fish Sauce: A guide”.

Viet World Chickken. November 30, 2008. Web. Now 28, 2010.

<http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/2008/11/fish-sauce-buying-guide.html

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