MASTERCHEF Champ Christine Ha Shares her 'My Mama's Chicken Noodle Soup' Recipe

Christine Ha is not only a MASTERCHEF champion, but also an inspiration to millions. Having been declared legally blind in 2007, she proved that with talent and hardwork, no obstacle is too difficult to overcome. In fact, as she shared when I recently spoke with her, Christine's victory inspired Alexander Weiss to audition for, and eventually win, the first season of MASTERCHEF JR.

In addition to having her own cooking show, FOUR SENSES, Christine released her first cookbook "Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food" last year, and this November, she will be a part of the first ever MASTERCHEF Cruise. For more information on this one of a kind vacation, visit their website.

When I spoke with Christine, she agreed to share some of her favorite recipes with our BroadwayWorld readers. Earlier this week she shared her Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Humble Apple Pie recipes, and her final one is for "My Mama's Chicken Noodle Soup":

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There is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of this noodle soup on a cold winter day. But ph is not just one of those things I love to eat when the frost is settling on the leaves outside; it is simply one of my favorite dishes ever. It doesn't matter if it's a scalding Houston summer afternoon--I'll still gladly sweat over my bowl of ph.

My mama made the best ph I'd ever had in my life. And I'm not just saying that because she was my mama. It was so good that her friends used to constantly urge her to open a noodle shop.

Years after she died, when I began trying to piece together her recipes, I asked my dad about her ph. He told me she'd jotted down a list of ingredients somewhere, but the notes were forever lost.

While my mama usually made the better-known beef version, it was her ph ga--chicken noodle soup--that I loved more. The stock is lighter in flavor but still packed with umami. It took me years before I finally mustered up the courage to try to replicate her recipe. I sometimes still imagine my mama standing over my shoulder and shaking her head in disapproval. I can only hope that my version of ph ga, inspired by hers, is half as good as the soup of my childhood.

You'll notice that I char the whole onions and piece of ginger and dry-roast the spices here. In doing so, I am coaxing every bit of sweetness and flavor from the ingredients, which translates to a more flavorful stock. If, like me, you are an ardent fan of dark meat, use 6 chicken leg quarters in lieu of a whole chicken.

SERVES 8

FOR THE STOCK

2 medium yellow onions
1 piece (4 inches) ginger
1 star anise
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
1 medium whole chicken, trimmed
3 pounds chicken necks, trimmed
5 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce

FOR THE PH

3 ounces medium-width flat rice noodles
1 small red onion, sliced into paper-thin half-moons and soaked in cold water
3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 bunch whole cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE GARNISHES

Bean sprouts
Thai basil
Mint
Cilantro
Jalapeno chile pepper slices (wear plastic gloves when handling)
Lime wedges

FOR THE CONDIMENTS

Hoisin sauce
Sriracha sauce

TO MAKE THE STOCK: On a grill or gas stove, place the whole onions and ginger directly on the grates over a medium open flame. Cook, using tongs to turn occasionally, until all sides are charred, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet set over medium heat, roast the star anise, coriander seeds, and whole cloves for 2 minutes or until fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally.

Rinse the onions under warm water to remove the charred skin. Peel the ginger, halve it, and gently smash it, using the side of a knife.

Remove the wings from the chicken and add them to the chicken necks. Remove the gizzards and reserve them for another use (see Dirty Rice, page 146). Using a meat cleaver, chop the chicken necks to expose the marrow.

In a large stockpot, combine the whole chicken, the necks and wings, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes or until the chicken is parboiled. Transfer the chicken, necks, and wings to a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove scum. Rinse out the stockpot.

Place the whole chicken, necks, wings, and charred onions and ginger back into the stockpot. Add the water to the pot and heat until the liquid is just about to boil. Do not bring to a full boil or the stock will be cloudy. Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the surface with a spoon.

Place the star anise, coriander seeds, and cloves in a sachet or a mesh spice ball and add it to the pot, along with the salt, sugar, and fish sauce. If necessary, add water to just cover the ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

Remove the whole chicken from the stockpot and set it aside to cool. Cut the 2 breasts from the bone, as well as the 2 leg quarters with the thighs and drumsticks attached. Cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Return the chicken carcass to the stockpot. Taste the stock and adjust the salt, sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer for 2 hours more, using a spoon to skim the surface occasionally. Do not allow it to boil, or the stock will be murky. Remove from the heat, strain, and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

TO MAKE THE PH: Remove any fat that has solidified on the surface of the stock, then return the pot to medium-low heat and bring the stock to a simmer. Taste it and adjust the salt, sugar, and fish sauce. Meanwhile, bring another large stockpot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the rice noodles, and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and tear it into 2-inch pieces.

On a platter, arrange the bean sprouts, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, jalapeno chile pepper slices, and lime wedges. Divide the noodles among 8 soup bowls, followed by the chicken, red onion, scallions, and chopped and whole cilantro.

TO SERVE WITH THE GARNISHES AND CONDIMENTS: Ladle 2 cups of stock into each bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve hot. Invite guests to help themselves to the garnishes and to the hoisin and Sriracha sauces.

A FEW NOTES ON PH

Ph is so often mispronounced that I think it's worth including a brief tutorial here. If you say it as if it rhymes in this sentence--"I fo' sho' want some ph "--read on. Ph is pronounced "fuh," as in "fun," with an inquiring inflection at the end. Practice this, and you'll impress all the Vietnamese servers at the ph restaurants when you order in perfect Vietnamese.

USING THE NOODLE

I grew up on dried noodle packages, but some cooks swear by the fresh ones. Prepare them the same way you would the dry packaged noodles, except reduce the amount of time they steep in hot water to just 1 minute. You'll see the majority of ph bowls using the small-width rice noodles, but my mama always made ph with a slightly wider, medium-width noodle. She was born in northern Vietnam, where ph originated, and it's traditional to use a slightly wider noodle in the soup. So as a tribute to my mama, I, too, always serve my ph with medium-width rice noodles. Look for an M on the package, which indicates a medium noodle, or, if you prefer, an S for small. There is not much difference; it's really a matter of preference. Never, however, use noodles marked L for ph; large-width rice noodles are generally used for stir-fried dishes such as Soy Sauce Stir-Fried Noodles.

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For more information on the MASTERCHEF Cruise, visit their website. You can also follow Christine on social media: Facebook, Twitter @theblindcook and @ChristineHHa, YouTube, and Instagram @theblindcook.

Recipes reprinted from "Recipes From My Home Kitchen" by Christine Ha. Copyright (c) 2013 by Christine Ha. By permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

MASTERCHEF airs Mondays on FOX 8:00pm/7:00pm CT, so tune in and check out who will carry on Christine's winning tradition.

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