← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg whole chicken (or bone-in thighs and breast)
• 2.5 l Water
• 30 g Dried shrimp
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 Onion, peeled
• 3 cm piece Ginger
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 200 g Vietnamese pork roll (chả lụa), cut into thin strips
• 400 g Rice vermicelli
• 4 Spring onion, sliced
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 handful Vietnamese coriander (rau răm)
• 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm), to serve (optional)
• 1 Bird's eye chilli, sliced
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Char the onion and ginger over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 5 min until blackened in spots. Soak the shiitake in warm water.
2. Put the chicken, dried shrimp, onion, ginger, shiitake (with its soaking water) and the 2.5 litres of water in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 35–40 min, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F).
3. Lift out the chicken and shiitake. When cool enough, shred the meat finely and slice the mushrooms into thin strips. Return the bones to the pot and simmer for 15 min more, then strain and season with the salt and fish sauce.
4. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Lightly oil a non-stick pan over low heat and pour in a thin layer, swirling to coat. Cook for about 1 minute until set, slide out and repeat. Roll up the omelettes and slice into very fine ribbons.
5. Cook the noodles according to the packet and divide between bowls. Arrange the chicken, egg ribbons, pork roll and mushrooms neatly on top, then ladle over the boiling broth.
6. Scatter with spring onion and herbs and serve with chilli, lime and a dab of shrimp paste for those who like it.

Tips

• Contains egg, and shrimp in the broth.
• Leave out the mắm tôm and the dried shrimp if anyone has a shellfish allergy; the broth is still lovely.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Delightful Plate Hungry Huy