Chef Ben Says: The Soup is Good
In yet another follow up example of why stock is king, I'd like to whip up a batch of Pho-Ga.
"Say what?"
You heard me. Pho-Ga. A magical concoction originating from southeast asia. And another example of a soup that can't be created properly without using real stock. Made out of food.
I did a little research about the health benefits of real stock (called "bone broth" in many health and fitness arenas), and had my eyes opened to a number of benefits I didn't know about previously. Funny thing is, your Grandmother knew it, and her Grandmother did too. We just forgot about it while we were grabbing for the box or can of salty beef or chicken water.
Stock made from real bones is good for your bones, and the joints in between. The bones are going to release a significant amount of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous-all key nutrients for bone health. Joint health is supported from the copious amounts of collagen, gelatin, and glucosamine contained in connective tissue, and cartilaginous ends of the bones. These lovely components that give us that delightful lip-smackin' mouth feel are also making our joints happy. Oh, and Grandma was right, the high mineral content in homemade broth supports the immune system. Chicken soup can make you feel better when you're sicky-icky.
So, let's make soup. Pho-Ga is the chicken version of the Vietnamese noodle soup taking the nation by storm. It's rich, slightly salty, and subtley spiced. You can add some heat with garnishes, or just enjoy it au naturel.
The broth construction is a little different than I have shown you before. One of the key characteristics of this soup is it's clarity. The Vietnamese have historically tangled with the French for many centuries, and the French affinity for food has rubbed off. This procedure isn't a lot different from consomme, the clearest of stocks. Here's the recipe:
4 chicken leg quarters
1 large hand of fresh ginger (4-5 inches) sliced into two halves, exposing the most area
1 large onion, split in half
2 tablespoons good vietnamese fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 quarts water
1 small stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cloves
2 star anise pods
1 lb rice noodles
sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, bean sprouts, basil, and sliced jalapenos for garnish
Separate your leg quarters into thighs and legs. Grab your biggest pot, and bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil.
When the water is boiling add the chicken, bring back to a boil, and cook one minute. What we are doing here is blanching. Blanching in stock terms helps to remove bacteria and impurities from the bones you are about to cook.
See that fluzzy foam? That's the excess funk boiling off of the chicken. If left in the pot, that foamy funk can cloud your stock. That's why we skim other stocks. Instead of skimming this, we're just going to pull the chicken out, rinse it off in cold water, pour the water out of the pot, and clean it thoroughly.
Next we need to prepare the aromatics, ginger and onion. They need to be halved and charred black.
"Say what?"
Yes halved and charred black. You can use the direct flame of a gas burner, a wicked intense broiler, your blowtorch, a raging hot bbq grill. Don't care how you do it, but remember: no char, no pho. It just won't taste right.
Since I'm in the beautifully appointed Lee Supply Test Kitchen, I'm going to use the infra-red grill on my Monogram professional range.
Return the chicken to the pot, add the charred aromatics, cover with 4 quarts of water,sploosh in your fish sauce, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook an hour and a half.
After your simmer time is up, pull the chicken out, let it cool slightly, pull the meat from the bones (reserve for later), return the bones to the pot, and add your hard spices. Simmer another hour and a half.
After your simmer time is done, strain the stock. Use the finest strainer you have, I'm totally in love with this little Exoglas strainer from Matfer. I told you before, I have good toys.
Cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Place a nice mound of hot noodles in a bowl. Add some of the warm cooked chicken, ladle over some of the hot delicious broth and top to your heart's content with any of the above mentioned fixins. If some self-important foodie snob tells you it's not cool to use condiments on your pho, tell them to walk away. It's your soup, and the soup is good...
Cheers,
Chef Ben