Pho Ga

October's Daring Cooks Challenge comes from - Jaden of Steamy Kitchen from her new book 'The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.'

It was a two part challenge, firstly Pho Ga and secondly to create your own sweet wonton.


Ingredients:

Chicken Pho Broth
2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
3 chicken skinless thigh pieces with bones
1 onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
3 tbsps. of Kecap Manis
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce

1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

Accompaniments:
Bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
Deep fried shallots
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice
Thinly sliced snow peas

Directions:
To make the Chicken Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
Char the onion and ginger, then brown chicken.
In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts.
Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

Enjoy!