Hanoi Noodle Soup

Main course

This Hanoi noodle soup is my favourite! The broth is clear, flavourful & has such a lovely aroma. When I was young, I only got to eat this after Têt holiday, which was the only occasion when a large feast was cooked for the wider family. The leftover food was assembled to make this "bun thang" and today it can be enjoyed all year round and not just during the holidays. In the past, the soup took so long to make, but the preparation process has been simplified, making it much easier.

Serving size

6

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

— 1 whole free range chicken — 300g Vietnamese chicken ham — 3 eggs — 1 shallot bulb, minced — 20g dried shrimp — 100g dried shredded white radish — 10 dried shiitake mushrooms — Laksa leaves — Spring onion — Shrimp paste — Fish sauce — Chicken powder — Rock sugar — 900g fresh rice vermicelli — Condiments: chilli, lime, vinegar, oil — Salt

Cooking Time

90 min

Intensity

Mild

Allergens

Eggs, Fish, Crustaceans, Mushroom

Method

1. In a pot, add the chicken and oil to some water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat & simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

2. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool.

3. Add the dried shrimp, white radish and shiitake mushrooms and continue to boil for a further 15 minutes.

4. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add 1-2 tablespoons of water.

5. Lightly oil a pan and add enough egg to make a thin layer across the base, flipping midway. This forms egg crepes. Continue to make as many as you can until all the egg has been used up.

6. One by one, loosely roll the egg crepes and cut into strips, julienne style.

7. Remove the dried shrimp, white radish and shiitake mushrooms from the broth and allow to dry.

8. Filter the broth & season with salt, fish sauce, chicken powder and some rock sugar.

9. Shred the cooked chicken and cut the

Vietnamese chicken ham into thin slices, julienne style. 10. Place the white radish in a cheesecloth and squeeze tightly to remove excess water. Then mix with the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar (or lime juice) in the ratio 1:1:1. Then add in 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic & chopped chillies to taste.

11. Using a knife or blender, chop the dried shrimp roughly.

12. Add the shallots to a non-stick pan and cook until the shallots become fragrant, then add the chopped dried shrimp and stir until they firm up, becoming shrimp floss.

13. Roughly chop the laksa leaves and spring onion and set aside.

14. In a separate pot, boil water with a pinch of salt and add the fresh vermicelli, boiling for approximately 10-15 seconds, then place in a bowl.

15. Assemble the bowl with the shredded chicken,

Vietnamese chicken ham, white radish, egg strips, laska leaves, spring onion, and shiitake mushrooms, and top with a little bit of shrimp floss.

16. Turn the broth pot to high heat, add in some shrimp paste and pour into the vermicelli bowl.

Serve alongside the condiments. Enjoy.