Quick Chicken Pho

Ingredients

• 3/4-inch section ginger
• 2 medium-large green onions
• 1 very small bunch cilantro sprigs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 whole clove
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 6 to 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
• About 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 5 ounces dried narrow flat rice noodles
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• About 1/2 teaspoon organic sugar, or 1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional
• Pepper, optional
• Optional extras: Bean sprouts, mint sprigs, Thai basil, cilantro leaves, lime wedges, thinly-sliced chili peppers

Directions

1. Start with the ginger: peel it, then cut it into 4 or 5 coin-shaped slices. Give the pieces a good whack with the flat side of a knife or a meat mallet, and set them aside. Thinly slice the green tops of the green onions until you have 2 to 3 tablespoons, and save those for garnish. Cut the remaining green onion sections into pinkie-finger lengths, bruise them a bit, and add them to the ginger.
2. Roughly chop the leafy cilantro tops until you have 2 tablespoons, and keep those aside for garnish. Save the remaining cilantro sprigs for the broth.
3. Set a 3- to 4-quart (3 to 4 l) pot over medium heat, and toast the coriander seeds and clove until they smell fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and green onion sections, and stir for about 30 seconds, just until everything wakes up and smells wonderful.
4. Pull the pot off the heat, let it cool for about 15 seconds, and then pour in the broth. Put the pot back on the burner, then add the water, cilantro sprigs, chicken, and salt. Bring everything to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat so the broth simmers gently.
5. After 5 to 10 minutes at a simmer, check the chicken; it should feel firm and be cooked through, with just a little give when you press it. Take the chicken out of the broth, and let the broth keep simmering without it for another 15 to 20 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes simmering time.
6. Move the chicken to a bowl, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking, and drain it well. Let it cool, then cut or shred it into bite-size pieces. Cover it loosely so it doesn’t dry out. If the chicken isn’t fully cooked when you start shredding it, split it into a few pieces and return it to the broth for another few minutes, until it cooks through; the smaller pieces will finish quickly.
7. Soak the rice noodles in hot water until they’re pliable and opaque. Drain them, rinse them, and set them aside.
8. When the broth is ready, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer set over a 2-quart (2-liter) pot; for superclear broth, line the strainer with muslin. Throw away the solids. You should end up with about 4 cups. Season the broth with fish sauce and sugar, or maple syrup if needed, until it has a bold savory-sweet flavor.
9. Bring the strained broth to a boil over high heat. Place the noodles in a noodle strainer or mesh sieve, and dip them into the hot broth to warm and soften them, 5 to 60 seconds. Lift the noodles out and divide them between the 2 bowls. If your noodles are already soft enough, you can add them straight to the bowls and let the hot broth do the rest, though a quick dunk in the broth gives them extra flavor.
10. Lower the heat so the broth stays hot while you arrange the chicken over the noodles. Add the chopped green onion, cilantro, and a little pepper on top. Taste the broth and adjust the saltiness one last time. Bring the broth back to a boil, then ladle it into the bowls. If the broth is already plenty hot, keeping it at a low simmer here works too. Add any extras you like.