Roast Goose and Duck Pho

Inspect and rinse the goose carcasses and goose feet under cold running water to remove loose debris, and then wash your hands, cutting board, knife, and prep sinks thoroughly with hot soapy water to eliminate cross-contamination risks from raw poultry.

Transfer the rinsed goose carcasses and goose feet into a large stockpot, submerge them under cold tap water, and bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat at 100°C (212°F) for 8 minutes to purge impurities and coagulated blood proteins.

Drain the contents of the large stockpot thoroughly into the sink, discard all the blanching water, scrub the goose bones and feet under cold running water to remove clinging foam, and wash the stockpot interior completely clean.

Place the halved yellow onions, sliced ginger, and halved shallots cut-side down onto a baking sheet and roast under the oven broiler set to 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes until the edges and skins develop a blistered, deep black char.

Place the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cracked black cardamom pods, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and whole cloves into a dry skillet over medium-low heat at 160°C (320°F), toasting them for 4 minutes while swirling continuously to prevent scorching.

Transfer the toasted whole spices onto a clean double layer of cheesecloth, gather the corners, and tie the bundle tightly with kitchen twine to make a secure spice sachet.

Return the scrubbed goose carcasses and feet to the cleaned large stockpot, pour in the 6000 ml of fresh cold water, add the charred onions, ginger, shallots, and the spice sachet, bring the pot to a simmer, and adjust the heat to 90°C (194°F) to simmer gently for 4 hours with the lid tilted.

Skim floating foam and pooling goose fat from the surface of the simmering liquid every 30 minutes using a spider skimmer and a ladle to keep the broth clear.

Stir the yellow rock sugar, fine sea salt, and fish sauce into the simmering stockpot during the final 30 minutes of cooking using a ladle until the sugar dissolves completely.

Lift out and discard the goose carcasses, goose feet, charred vegetables, and spice sachet with tongs, then pour the hot broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large heatproof bowl.

Place the scored duck breasts skin-side down in a cold skillet, set the burner to medium-low heat at 150°C (302°F), render the fat for 10 minutes until the skin turns crisp and golden, then flip and sear the flesh side until the internal temperature registers 74°C (165°F) on a digital meat thermometer.

Rest the cooked duck breast on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice the breasts thinly across the grain into 4 mm thick slices with a chef knife.

Bring water to a rolling boil at 100°C (212°F) in a medium saucepan, drop in the dried rice noodles, boil for 4 minutes until tender yet firm, and drain immediately in a fine-mesh sieve under warm running water to remove excess surface starch.

Divide the warm, drained rice noodles evenly among 6 soup bowls using tongs.

Arrange the sliced duck breast meat neatly on top of the noodles in each bowl and scatter the sliced white and green scallions over the meat.

Bring the strained goose pho broth back to a rapid simmer at 98°C (208°F) in the stockpot, then ladle approximately 550 ml of boiling broth directly over the assembled noodles, duck, and scallions in each bowl.

Garnish each bowl with fresh Thai basil leaves, chopped cilantro, ribboned sawtooth coriander, fresh bean sprouts, and sliced bird's eye chilies, serving immediately with lime wedges.