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1. What you’re making
Goal: Clear, lightly golden chicken broth with soft-chewy noodles, tender chicken, and a clean aromatic phở profile (not too heavy on spices like beef phở).
Total stew time: ~3 hours
Active time: ~45–60 minutes
Base batch size: ~5 liters of broth (about 6–8 generous bowls)
Think of this as four main parts:
Prepare bones & chicken
Build and simmer the broth
Make the spice/aromatic bag + toppings
Cook noodles and assemble bowls
2. Ingredients (grouped) A. Protein & Broth Base
1 whole chicken, ~3.8 lb (1.7 kg), cleaned
Fine salt (for scrubbing skin and seasoning)
~3.5 lb (1.6 kg) bones
Ideally: chicken bones
In video: pork bones used instead
5 liters water
1 tbsp rock sugar (for the initial boil with the chicken)
1.5 tbsp salt (initially added with chicken)
B. Later Broth Seasoning (for ~5 L broth)
Add these after all simmering is done and solids are removed:
3 tbsp granulated chicken soup base mix
1.5 tbsp salt
3 tbsp rock sugar
1 tbsp MSG (optional – can skip)
2 tbsp fish sauce
Adjust to your taste.
C. Aromatics (Charred / Grilled)
Purple onions (small red shallot-type)
Regular onions
Ginger
White turnip / daikon (called “white turnips” in the video)
These are grilled/roasted in a pan or over flame until the skins are blackened, then peeled.
D. Spice Mix (“Flavor Sieve” Bag)
Dry-toast:
Cinnamon stick
Star anise
Cardamom pods
Coriander seeds
Fennel seeds
“Skull pepper” (likely a type of peppercorn – use what you have: black or Sichuan)
Plus into the bag:
Toasted spices (above)
Grilled purple onions & ginger
Zest of 1 lime (or lime leaves) – not too much or broth gets bitter
Several coriander (cilantro) roots
All of this goes into a cloth bag / metal sieve and sits in the broth for about 40 minutes only.
E. Eggs (Optional but recommended)
Immature chicken eggs (if you can find them), or you can sub:
Regular eggs or quail eggs for a similar effect
Boil ~5 minutes – they cook very fast.
F. Color for Chicken Skin (Optional)
½ tsp turmeric powder
A bit of water (to make a thin slurry to brush on skin)
G. Herbs, Garnishes & Sides
Green onions (scallions) – roots and leaves
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
Onion (thinly sliced, soaked in ice water)
Lime leaves (very finely sliced)
Fresh chilies (cut into diamond shapes if you want to be fancy)
Lime wedges (for serving, though not explicitly stated, it’s standard)
H. Noodles
Fresh phở noodles, or
Dried phở noodles (if dried, soak + briefly boil)
Portion guideline from the video:
Per serving: ~200 g noodles + about 3 big ladles of broth
3. Step-by-step process Step 1 – Clean and prep the chicken
Take the cleaned whole chicken.
Scrub the entire skin gently with fine salt (this cleans and tightens the skin).
Rinse thoroughly with water.
If you have immature chicken eggs, rinse them in lightly salted water as well.
Engineering analogy: this is your “input sanitization” phase.
Step 2 – Prep and blanch the bones
Soak bones in dilute salt water for a bit.
Rinse.
Blanch bones in boiling water for ~3 minutes to remove impurities.
Rinse again under tap water.
This step is crucial for a clear broth.
Step 3 – Start the broth & cook the chicken
In a big pot, add:
Blanched bones
About 5 liters of water
Put the whole chicken in while the water is still cold.
This lets the chicken heat up slowly, cook evenly, and keeps the skin from tearing.
Add:
1.5 tbsp salt
1 tbsp rock sugar
Turn heat up to bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
Skim off any foam/bubbles to keep broth clear.
Simmer the chicken for about 20 minutes.
Check doneness by poking with a chopstick:
No pink liquid coming out → chicken is cooked.
Step 4 – Ice bath the chicken (for firm, crunchy skin)
Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Immediately transfer the hot chicken into the ice water.
Let it sit until completely cool.
This makes the meat firm and the skin pleasantly “crunchy” and tight.
Take it out and let it dry.
Optional: Turmeric skin color trick
Mix ½ tsp turmeric powder with a bit of water.
Brush this mixture over the chicken skin.
Wait ~15 minutes for it to absorb.
Rinse with water so excess turmeric is washed away.
You’re left with a natural-looking light yellow skin (not neon).
If you don’t like this, you can skip it.
Step 5 – Cook the eggs
Put the immature chicken eggs into a sieve or small basket.
Boil for about 5 minutes (they cook fast).
Remove and let them drain.
They’re rich and buttery – part of the “special treat” feel.
Step 6 – Long simmer for the broth
Keep simmering the bones on low heat.
Regularly skim foam/bubbles to keep broth clear.
Total simmer time is about 3 hours.
After each hour, top up the pot with boiling water to compensate for evaporation.
Step 7 – Char the aromatics
While the broth is simmering:
Grill or roast:
Purple onions
Onions
Ginger
White turnips (daikon)
Grill until the outside skins are blackened.
Peel off the blackened skin.
Rinse quickly.
Then:
Add the grilled onions and white turnips directly into the broth.
These add sweetness and aroma.
Step 8 – Toast the spices & build the flavor bag
In a dry pan on low heat, toast:
Cinnamon
Star anise
Cardamom
Then add:
Coriander seeds
Fennel seeds
“Skull pepper” (peppercorns)
Toast on low until fragrant (you’ll smell the spices).
Next:
Put all the toasted spices into:
A cloth spice bag or a metal sieve.
Add:
Grilled purple onions
Grilled ginger
Zest of 1 lime or lime leaves
Only a small amount – too much will turn the broth bitter.
Several coriander roots
Close the bag/sieve.
Now:
Put this flavor bag into the broth.
Let it stew for about 40 minutes.
Important detail: total broth time ~3 hours, but spice bag only for the final 40 minutes.
Too early → harsh/overpowering.
Too late → weak flavor.
Step 9 – Prep herbs, garnishes & chicken
While the broth finishes:
Green onion:
Roots: leave long or cut into strips.
Leaves: chop finely.
Coriander (cilantro):
Chop finely.
Onion:
Cut into thin slices.
Soak in ice water to make them crunchy and milder in smell.
Lime leaves:
Slice very thinly (like hair-thin shreds).
Chilies:
Cut into small diamond shapes.
Chicken:
Either shred or slice.
The video chooses to slice the meat and plate with the eggs.
Lay sliced chicken and eggs on a plate ready for assembly.
Step 10 – Final broth seasoning
Remove from the broth:
All bones
Grilled onions and turnips
Spice/aromatic bag
Now season the clear broth (for ~5 liters):
3 tbsp granulated chicken soup base
1.5 tbsp salt
3 tbsp rock sugar
1 tbsp MSG (optional)
2 tbsp fish sauce
Taste and adjust for your family’s preference:
More fish sauce = more savory and complex
More rock sugar = more round sweetness
Step 11 – Noodles
If using dried noodles:
Soak in water until softened.
Boil briefly in hot water until just cooked.
Drain well.
If using fresh noodles:
Gently separate/tear them apart by hand.
They’ll just need a quick poach in boiling water before serving.
Step 12 – Assembly (the fun part)
Rinse serving bowls with boiling water (warms the bowl).
Poach noodles in boiling water, drain, and place in bowl.
Add sliced chicken and eggs on top.
Add:
Onion slices
Chopped green onion and coriander
Ladle in boiling hot broth.
Top with:
Lime leaf shreds
Pepper
Fresh chili (optional)
Suggested portion:
~200 g noodles
~3 big ladles of broth per person
Serve with lime wedges and extra herbs if you like.
4. Key technique takeaways
If you want the “why” like an engineer:
Cold start for chicken: prevents torn skin and gives even cooking.
Blanch and rinse bones: critical for a clear broth.
Skim constantly: clarity = perceived “clean” flavor.
Spice bag only 40 minutes: prevents over-extraction and bitterness.
Ice bath for chicken: tight skin, better texture.
Turmeric wash: cosmetic, not flavor; gives pro restaurant-level color.