Chicken Pho

Remove and reserve stems from shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice caps and chill until needed. Place shiitake stems, ginger, coriander seeds, and cloves on a double-thick, 8-inch square of 100% cotton cheesecloth. Bring up corners; tie closed with 100% cotton string.

In a 5- to 6-qt. slow cooker combine spice bag, chicken thighs, water, chicken stock, sliced onion, mushrooms, brown sugar, garlic, and salt. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or high 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove and discard spice bag.

Remove chicken from cooker. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Coarsely shred chicken using two forks; cover and keep warm. Stir the reserved shiitake caps and noodles into broth mixture. Cover and cook 10 minutes more.

Ladle noodle mixture into shallow bowls. Add shredded chicken and desired toppers.