Chicken, Shiitake and Glass Noodle Broth

From issue #5.
Photography by Photography by Nick Tresidder.
Chicken, Shiitake and Glass Noodle Broth

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

Stock
1 litre chicken stock
1 stalk lemongrass
2 kaffir lime leaves
5 cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 chicken breasts (400 grams)

Soup
100 grams glass noodles (bean thread vermicelli)
½ cup dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
150 grams fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cm piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar
1 lime, juiced
½ cup Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon black vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 spring onions, finely sliced
½ cup coriander leaves

METHOD

Stock: Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a medium sized pot and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Add the chicken, simmer, covered for 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Leave the chicken covered in the pot for 20 minutes. Remove, shred and set aside (cover with a little of the stock to kept it moist). Strain the stock and set aside.

Soup: Soak the noodles in warm (not boiling) water for 30 minutes and drain. Soak the dried shiitake in 500 mls boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside. Add the mushroom liquor to the chicken stock. Heat the stock to a gentle simmer. Remove the stems from the fresh shiitake and slice finely. Heat a small fry pan and add the peanut oil. Sauté the mushrooms with the garlic and ginger until cooked, add the soy sauce and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and the chicken to the broth and heat through. Add the glass noodles and the palm sugar, lime juice, rice wine, black vinegar, fish sauce and spring onions. Adjust the flavourings
if necessary. Spoon into deep bowls and garnish with the coriander. Serves 4-6