Hanoi Chicken Soup

"I enjoy the Hanoi Soup, or Pho, that my wife makes at home in the conventional way, with boiled beef and noodles and some sliced raw beef added at the last moment. It is similar to a French pot-au-feu and a meal in itself. One day I decided to make a version with chicken. The stock, flavored with burnt shallots and ginger, as well as star anise, has a distinctive taste. First I simmer the charred shallots and ginger and anise in chicken stock (or chicken bouillon cubes in water). Then I poach a whole chicken in the stock. Once it is cooked, I pull the meat into pieces and finish the soup at the last moment with bean sprouts, shredded bok choy, tree ear mushrooms, and cellophane noodles (also called mung bean vermicelli).

"The soup is served with an array of garnishes, including cilantro, red onion, chili peppers, quartered limes, scallions, and fish sauce, all of which guests can add at will to their hot soup. It is a complex dish, but most of it can be prepared ahead." --Jacques Pépin

Recipe: Hanoi Chicken Soup

Serves 6 to 8 (makes about 3 quarts)

Ingredients:

3 small shallots (unpeeled)
1 piece ginger, about 3 inches long, halved lengthwise
3 quarts homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes plus 3 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using bouillon cubes), or to taste
3 star anise
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
1 1/2 cups sliced red onions
3 cups (8 ounces) bean sprouts
1/2 cup (3/4 ounce) dried tree ear mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 1/2 cups warm water
2 small bundles (about 6 ounces) cellophane noodles (mung bean vermicelli)
3 cups shredded small bok choy (both green and white parts)

Garnishes

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
8 scallions, minced (3/4 cup)
2 limes, quartered
Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc nam)

Instructions:

Impale the shallots and ginger on a metal skewer and burn over a gas flame for about 5 minutes, turning the skewer so the shallots and ginger are charred on all sides. Or run under a preheated broiler for a few minutes, until charred.
Drop them into a stockpot (preferably narrow and tall, so the chicken will be immersed in the stock). Pour in the chicken stock and salt (or water and bouillon cubes) and add the star anise. Bring to a boil and boil gently, covered, for 10 minutes.
Let the stock cool to lukewarm.
Add the chicken, breast side down, to the stockpot. (The chicken should be submerged in the stock; if need be, place an inverted plate or small pan lid on top to weight the chicken down.) Cover and bring to a strong boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently for 15 minutes. Shut off the heat and let the chicken, still covered, poach in the hot stock for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the sliced onions and blanch for about 15 seconds. Using a skimmer, transfer the onions to a sieve and cool under cold running water then drain and reserve for garnish.
Add the bean sprouts to the water, bring the water back to a strong boil, and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve, cool the sprouts under cold water and set aside.
After the hour of poaching, remove the chicken from the stock and strain the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones and tear the meat into 2-to 3-inch pieces. Put the meat in a small bowl and set aside, covered with 1 cup of the hot stock to keep it warm.
Scoop off and discard some of the fat from the top of the stock. Add the reconstituted mushrooms and their liquid to the stock, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the noodles in a bowl, add 8 cups hot water, and set aside for 10 minutes to soften. Run hot tap water over the bean sprouts to heat them.
Add the bok choy to the boiling stock and boil for 2 minutes. Add salt if needed.
To serve, set out all the garnishes (including the red onions) on the table so your guests can add them as desired. Divide the noodles among six to eight large soup plates. Add the bean sprouts and chicken pieces and fill the bowls with the hot stock and bok choy. Serve.