The Vietnamese beef noodle soup, pho bo, is difficult to make at home: it requires an enormous pot to hold all the beef bones, meat and spices, which are simmered for hours. Pho gai - chicken noodle soup - is easier.
This recipe was developed by food stylist Vivian Herijanto. Be sure to use a fresh chicken - frozen birds have an insipid flavour and flaccid texture. The ideal bird is a large stewing hen, which takes a long time to simmer to tenderness, but which has more flavour. Those are hard to find, though, so this recipe uses a regular chicken.
