Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Directions

1. Add the dry wood ear and shiitake mushrooms to a bowl and pour in boiling water. Set aside to rehydrate.

2. Add the dry noodles to a large bowl and cover with room temperature water. Set aside to rehydrate.
3. Cut ginger into thin slices. Peel and trim off root-end of shallots.
4. Add the ginger slices (reserving 2 slices) to a large pot, followed by chicken legs if you have them, then the chicken. I like adding the ginger and chicken legs first to create a barrier between the chicken and the bottom of the pot.
5. Fold the green onion stalks in half and insert into the cavity of the chicken, along with the 2 reserved pieces of ginger.

6. Add shallots, salt, and 3 liters of water to the pot. TIP: if you do not have a pot large enough to fit the chicken and all of the water, add as much of the water as possible and set the rest aside to add once you remove the chicken.

7. Bring pot to boil over medium high. Once boiling: reduce heat to medium low, add bouillon powder, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
8. While the chicken & broth are cooking: strain, rinse, and slice the 2 types of mushrooms thinly, along with the shallot from the Toppings & noodles section.

9. Cut to separate the green and white parts of green onions. For the whites: cut into 3cm lengths, then quarter them lengthwise. For the greens: chop into 1/2cm pieces.

10. Roughly chop cilantro.
11. Once the chicken is done, remove to wire rack to cool down enough to handle. Meanwhile, remove ginger & shallot pieces from the broth with a slotted spoon and season your broth to taste with fish sauce. Turn stove down to lowest setting to keep warm.

12. Using a good knife/cleaver, separate the legs and wings from the chicken. I like to keep & serve these whole, dipped in a salt-pepper-lime juice combination. TIP: Save the bones to make congee. It’s a great way to make the most out of the ingredients!

13. Shred the chicken breast and any meat from the body into thin strips.
14. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat, add sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant- about 1 minute.
15. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes.
16. Add shredded chicken. Season with bouillon powder, black pepper, and fish sauce. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
17. Strain noodles.

18. To assemble: Add 1 serving of noodles to a strainer, dip into the broth and stir with chopsticks for 20 seconds to soften & warm up the noodles, then pour noodles into a bowl.

19. Add some of the chicken & mushrooms mixture on top of the noodles.
20. Pour in the broth, then top with the green onion and cilantro.
21. Repeat for remaining portions.