Pho ga tron xi dau is the Hanoi answer to a bowl of pho when you want something other than soup. The flat noodles are coated in a salty sweet sauce, the chicken keeps its crisp skin, and peanuts and fried shallots go on top for richness.
The tricky part is poaching the chicken so the skin stays intact and the meat stays sweet. The poaching water should sit at a bare shiver, around 60 to 70 degrees C. A rolling boil splits the skin and leaves the meat stringy. A few minutes in ice water after poaching firms the meat, crisps the skin and makes it easy to slice.
This batch weighs about 3.9kg, at roughly 64 calories per 100g.
Method
Pour boiling water over the 1.2kg chicken to tighten the skin, then rinse it again. Char 2 onions and 30g sliced ginger in a large pot until golden and fragrant, then lift them out.
Pour 1.8 liters water into the same pot and heat until tiny bubbles form, around 60 to 70 degrees C. Do not let it come to a rolling boil.
Lower in the chicken and add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend. Keep the water at a bare shiver, skim the foam, cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes, then lift the chicken into ice water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Make the garlic oil. Crush 20g garlic and fry it in 2 tablespoons cooking oil until pale gold, then scoop the garlic out. Mix 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and brush it over the chicken once the bird has cooled.
Remove the onion and ginger from the pot. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat into a pan and fry 3 cilantro roots, 10g ginger and 20g sliced shallot until fragrant, then tip it all back into the broth. Season with 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1/3 teaspoon salt.
Ladle 600ml broth into a small pot, add 54g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 100g soy sauce and 6g salt, bring to a boil, then stir in 20g vinegar. Taste for a balance of sour, salty and sweet, then turn off the heat.
Bone the chicken and tear or slice it about 1cm thick. Blanch 200g pho rice noodle per bowl for 3 minutes, blanch the bean sprouts briefly, then drain.
Put the noodles and sprouts in a bowl, spoon over about 100ml of the sauce for every 200g noodles and toss until coated.
Lay the chicken on top and finish with cilantro, spring onion, 1 tablespoon fried shallots, 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts and a little pepper. Serve a small bowl of hot broth alongside.
Tips
Water held at a bare shiver, skimmed often, is what keeps the broth clear.
Ice water straight after poaching firms the meat and gives the skin a much better snap.
Turmeric oil brushed onto cooled chicken sits evenly and gives a glossy finish.
The kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so simmer the sauce an extra minute and stir it again before tasting.
Toss the noodles while they are still warm, as cold noodles will not take up the sauce.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.