It’s unbelievable but Florida has been hit with a cold front that has stayed for more than one day. We’ve been in the 40’s for a while and I am loving it!! But I’ve been craving that spicy and hot umami flavor that is found in Vietnamese inspired Pho! I had a wonderful local restaurant within 10 minutes of where I use to live. Now, its too far of a drive. So I decided to make this myself at home!
Pho normally takes a few days to develop those deep rich flavors-but I’m not that patient-so I used a few shortcuts to develop deep flavors in a small amount of time!
My freezer is my best friend! I love making whole roasted chicken breast. They often comes with organs that a lot of people regrettably throw them away but I keep a hold of them. I also take out the backbone and freeze them with the organs.
- 1/2 to 1 lbs Chicken and Beef Bones & Organs
- 2 Chicken Breasts (sliced thinly)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard with Chardonnay
- 2 tablespoons of sour orange (or lime juice)
- 2 Carrots
- 1 diced Onions
- 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon Old Bay
- 2 Plum Tomatoes
- 2 Maggie or Knorr Beef Bouillon cubes
- 1 sprig of Thyme
- 2 tablespoon Ginger
- Salt & Pepper
- 6 cups of hot water
- 3 tablespoon of olive oil
- Egg Noodles
Toppings:
- Vietnamese (or Italian) Cilantro
- Bean Sprouts
- Jalapeno Slices
- Lime wedges
- Sliced Onions
- Sliced Scallions
So I started out by seasoning my beef & chicken bones and breast with the mustard, sour orange, Salt and pepper! I let it marinade for about 30 while I started chopping all my ingredients.
I made this in a cast iron pan and started by searing the meat (for 3-5 minutes on medium high) in small batches in about 2 tablespoons of oil until a crispy golden color is formed on each side. Remember that whatever is brown is flavorful! Remove the chicken breast and set it aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot and add the carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and tomatoes. Also add the rest of the spices like the bouillon cubes, Old Bay, salt and pepper. Let simmer with the bones for about 20 minutes. I use a cast iron pot so it forms a beautiful layer on the bottom of the pan, stir occasionally because brown is not burnt!
Add in the hot water and let simmer for 40 min. Strain out the bones and other ingredients and you will be left with a flavorful broth.
Before serving add in a small batch of egg noodles into the broth for about 5 minutes, or until soft and let simmer on medium heat.
Serve with slices of chicken breast and variety of toppings.
*since the broth is simmering for 40 minutes be aware that it will be concentrated be careful with your salt. But you can easily add in more water if it becomes too salty.
An Extra Scoop 