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1
Put the chicken pieces, salt, and the 4 quarts water into a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and bring to a boil over high heat.
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2
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and then use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top.
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3
Add the onion and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
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4
Remove the breast from the pot and set aside in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to prevent it from drying out.
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5
Add the pork bones, squid, and fish sauce to the pot.
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6
Raise the heat to high to return to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer gently.
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7
Again, skim off any scum.
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8
Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.
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9
When the breast has finished soaking, drain the water and set the breast aside.
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10
Allow it to cool completely, then shred the meat with your fingers into fine pieces about 1/8 inch wide, pulling it along its natural grain and discarding the bones and skin.
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11
Put the chicken shreds in a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
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12
To rehydrate the dried shrimp, put them in a small saucepan with the 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly soft.
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13
Drain the shrimp into a sieve placed over a bowl.
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14
Add the cooking liquid to the simmering broth.
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15
Let the shrimp cool completely, then put it into a food processor or electric mini-chopper and process to grind to a fine texture.
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16
Transfer to a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
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17
When the broth is ready, use tongs to transfer the pork bones to a large bowl filled with cold water.
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18
Let them soak for 5 minutes to prevent them from drying out and turning dark.
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19
Drain the pork bones, let cool until they can be handled, and then remove the meat, discarding the bones and any odd bits.
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20
Use your fingers to break the meat into pea-sized pieces or tear it into fine shreds.
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21
Put in a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
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22
Position a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) over a pot and gently ladle the broth into the sieve.
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23
Discard the solids, including the chicken parts.
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24
(Th is seems wasteful, but these parts are spent.)
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25
Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like.
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26
(To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.)
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27
There should be about 3 quarts (12 cups) broth.
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28
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat while you are assembling the bowls.
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29
At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, for reheating the noodles.
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30
Make sure the chicken, shrimp, pork, egg, and sausage are at room temperature; ready the Vietnamese coriander and pepper for assembling the bowls; and put the shrimp sauce, preserved radish, and chiles on the table.
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31
Place a portion of the noodles on a large vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water.
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32
After 5 to 10 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot.
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33
Empty the noodles into a bowl and repeat with the remaining portions, while proceeding to assemble each bowl as the noodles are reheating and draining.
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34
Visually divide up each bowl into quadrants.
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35
Cover 1 quadrant with chicken, the next quadrant with egg, and the third one with sausage.
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36
If you have less shrimp and pork than the other ingredients, fill the remaining quadrant with half of each; if you have lots of pork, cover the quadrant with it, and put the shrimp in the center.
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37
Put some Vietnamese coriander in the middle, and then sprinkle with pepper.
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38
Raise the heat on the broth and bring to a rolling boil.
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39
Do a final taste test, adding more salt, if necessary.
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40
Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients.
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41
Serve immediately with the fine shrimp sauce, preserved radish, and chiles.
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42
Diners should stir in about 1/4 teaspoon shrimp sauce to finish their bowls.
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43
The radish and chiles add crunch and heat.
