← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg whole chicken or bone-in pieces
• 3 l Water
• 50 g ginger, sliced, plus a small knob cut into fine matchsticks to serve
• 2 Shallot, halved
• 2 tsp Salt
• 200 g Jasmine rice
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp black pepper, plus more to serve
• 3 Spring onion, sliced
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 handful Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) (optional)
• 3 tbsp Crispy fried shallots
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Put the chicken in a large pot, cover with cold water and boil for 5 min. Drain and rinse to keep the broth clean.
2. Return the chicken to the pot with 3 litres of water, the sliced ginger, shallots and salt. Simmer gently for 30–35 min until cooked through (75°C / 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh).
3. Meanwhile, rinse the rice and drain well, then toast it in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 5 min, stirring, until opaque and nutty smelling. This makes the porridge creamier.
4. Lift out the chicken, let it cool a little and shred the meat. Strain the broth and return it to the pot.
5. Add the toasted rice to the broth and simmer for 30–40 min, stirring often, until the grains burst and the porridge is thick and silky. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
6. Season with the fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with chicken, ginger matchsticks, spring onion, herbs, fried shallots and a squeeze of lime.

Tips

• Cool leftover porridge quickly and refrigerate; it thickens as it sits, so loosen it with water or stock when reheating.
• A spoon of glutinous rice added with the jasmine rice makes it even silkier.

Sources

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

Vicky Pham Hungry Huy