Egg Noodle Soup with Chicken and Bok Choy

Egg Noodle Soup with Chicken and Bok Choy


    375 ml (1½ cups) water

    ¼ teaspoon salt

    500 g (1 lb) boneless chicken breasts or Chinese BBQ pork (char siew)

    500 g (1 lb) baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

    1 kg (2 lbs) fresh egg noodles or 500 g (1 lb) dried egg noodles

    Crispy Fried Shallots (page 29), to serve

    2 spring onions, sliced, to garnish

    Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish

    Broth

    1½ liters (6 cups) chicken stock or 2 to 3 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1½ liters (6 cups) hot water

    3 tablespoons crushed coriander roots and stems

    4 stalks (40 g) Chinese celery, chopped to yield about 1 cup

    1 small red onion, diced

    2 teaspoons ground white pepper

    3 tablespoons rice wine or sherry

    2 tablespoons soy sauce

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (optional)



   
    1 To make the Broth, bring thе сhісkеn ѕtосk to a boil іn a ѕtосkроt оvеr hіgh hеаt. Add the coriander roots and stems, Chinese celery and onion, аnd simmer fоr 10 tо 15 mіnutеѕ. Rеmоvе frоm the hеаt аnd  and strain out the solids using a fine sieve. Discard the solids and return the clear Broth to the stove. Season with all the other ingredients and keep the Broth hot over very low heat.

    2 Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan and poach the chicken over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked. Remove and set aside to cool. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. If using the BBQ pork, slice thinly and set aside.

    3 Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Blanch the baby bok choy for about 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Set aside.

    4 In the same pot of water, blanch the fresh egg noodles for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to separate the noodles. Remove and drain. If using dried egg noodles, blanch until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

    5 Place the egg noodles and baby bok choy in individual serving bowls. Pour the hot Broth over and top with the chicken pieces or BBQ pork, Crispy Fried Shallots, spring onion and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

    Serves 4 to 6

    Preparation time: 40 mins

    Cooking time: 30 mins.