How to Make: The Most Comforting and Authentic Bowl of Chao Ga/Vietnamese Chicken Porridge

fish sauce

🥗Healthier: soy sauce

💰Cheaper: salt

Soy sauce is lower in calories and can be used for flavor.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil offers a healthier fat profile.

Wash your hands before starting.

Prep the chicken by scrubbing it with kosher salt to reduce bacteria.

Place 2 lbs of clean chicken quarters into a stock pot with 4 quarts of water on high heat.

Cut a yellow onion in half and a 2-inch knob of ginger in half, adding them to the pot without peeling.

Bring the pot to a rolling boil, skim off impurities, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for a little over half an hour until the chicken is tender.

Chop green onions and cilantro, and thinly slice the ginger into strips.

Toast 1 cup of long grain jasmine rice in a dry pan on medium-high heat until it turns opaque white.

After about an hour and a half, remove the chicken quarters and aromatics from the broth, skimming off any impurities.

Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool down for easier cutting later.

Season the broth with 1 inch of rock sugar, 1 tablespoon of MSG, and salt to taste.

Add the toasted jasmine rice to the pot and bring it to a low simmer, covering it for 40 to 45 minutes until the rice expands and begins to dissolve into the stock.

Debone the chicken quarters, optionally removing the skin, and shred or cut the chicken into strips.

Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce to the porridge for seasoning.

Make a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of water, combine it, and pour it into the porridge for added velvetiness.

Ladle the porridge into bowls, topping it with shredded chicken, green onions, cilantro, fried shallots, julienned ginger, and fresh ground black pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens