Pho Hanoi with chicken, pork and eggs (bun thang) of Thuy Diem Pham

A very simple broth but one that retains all the drama and intensity of a bowl of classic noodles.

The dish originated from Northern Vietnam but is made all over the country.

Serves 6-8
1 x 400g dry instant noodles

Add the broth
Chicken breast 500g
Pork ribs 300g
Chicken and bone 1kg
onion 2, peeled
daikon 1, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon salt
Fish sauce 1 teaspoon
30g rock sugar, crushed

For toppings
Dried shiitake mushrooms 8
5 tbsp dried shrimp
whole shrimp 16, peeled and peeled
vegetable oil 3 tablespoons
minced pork 250g
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
Fish sauce 1 teaspoon
Black pepper crushed 1 teaspoon
Turmeric ½ spoon
5 green onions, finely chopped
Eggs 6, beat
Vietnamese father lua 400g ham, cut into matchsticks scrumptious

To serve (optional)
100g green onion, finely chopped
coriander 100g, finely chopped
Vietnamese peppermint 100g, finely chopped (or normal peppermint)
100g white onions, cut into matchsticks
Crispy shallot (see below)
lemon wedge
chili bird 100g, sliced ​​diagonally

Crispy chives (enough for 8 servings but will hold for a month)

1 liter vegetable oil

Asian chives 1kg, peeled and finely chopped

To make chives fried, heat the oil in a large pan over low heat. An easy way to know when the oil is ready is to put a wooden wand on it - when the bubble forms on the surface of the oil, it is ready.

Add shallots and fry until golden brown. Remove with a spoon and drain on paper towels. If done in large quantities, repeat this process until all the chives are cooked, then leave them on paper towels overnight. Allowing chives to air dry will help preserve them. Transfer to an airtight container.

To make broth, bring 6 liters of boiled water in a stockpot on a high heat. Add chicken, pork chops, carcasses and bones along with onions and daikon. Surf the impurities from the surface of the water, then cool down and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken breast and place on a cutting board until cooled enough to handle. Tear the chicken and refrigerate.

Season the broth with salt, fish sauce and sugar, then continue cooking for another 45 minutes. Remove carcasses, bones, daikon and onions, then simmer for another 15 minutes.

To prepare toppings, soak shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for an hour. Drain and dry with a tissue, then cut very thinly. Set aside.

Soak the shrimp in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes, then drain. Blitz in a food processor to a good floss and set aside.

Bring a pan of boiling water and add the shrimp. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside.

Wash the pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and put on medium heat. Add pork, salt, sugar, fish sauce, pepper, turmeric and scallions. Mix well and fry for 8-10 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add one third of beaten eggs, tilt the pan to form a thin layer of eggs and fry until cooked. Remove and repeat with the remaining eggs to make 3 thin omelettes. Very sophisticated and set aside.

Bring a pot of boiling water and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent them from further cooking.

To serve, add a handful of noodles to the bottom of each serving bowl. Place a small portion of each topping, including ham, on noodles and add 1 tablespoon of shrimp to each bowl.

Bring the broth back to a boil and then scoop it into the bowl.

On an extra plate for each bowl add a piece of lemon, add a few slices of chili and add a little shrimp sauce, to add flavor.

MW