Bún thang

Step 1: Char 1 onion and 1 oz ginger directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 5 minutes, until blackened in patches. Rinse off the loose black bits.

Step 2: Put 3 ⅓ lb whole chicken in a large pot with the onion, ginger, 1 oz dried shrimp, drained 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, 12 ½ cups water and 1 tsp salt. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the foam.

Step 3: Simmer very gently for 40–45 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F and the juices run clear. Common mistake: letting it boil hard, which clouds the broth and toughens the meat.

Step 4: Lift out the chicken and drop it into iced water for 10 minutes to firm the skin. Pull the meat into fine shreds and return the bones to the pot to simmer for 30 minutes more.

Step 5: Strain the broth, season with 3 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp sugar, and keep it hot. Slice the mushrooms thinly.

Step 6: Beat 4 eggs. Wipe a non-stick pan with 1 tsp vegetable oil, pour in a thin layer of egg and cook over a low heat for about 1 minute, until set right through. Repeat, then roll up the sheets and cut into very fine ribbons.

Step 7: Cut 7 oz giò lụa (Vietnamese pork roll) into thin matchsticks. Cook 14 oz fine rice vermicelli following the packet, rinse and drain.

Step 8: Put noodles in each bowl and arrange the chicken, egg ribbons, pork roll and mushrooms on top in neat piles. Pour over boiling broth and finish with 1 handful Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), 3 spring onions, 1 lime and 1 red chilli.