Something to warm you up or cool you down
Hokkien noodle soup –
Serves 4
Clean, fresh flavours, nice little hot bite, good crunch from vegetables. Starting with a good unsalted stock is important.
250ml well-made unsalted chicken stock
1 litre water
6 spring onions
2 hottish red chillies
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped peeled ginger
Bunch of coriander
2 skinned and boned free-range chicken breasts
200g Hokkien noodles
1½ Tbsp soy sauce
1cup of cubed tofu
Peanut oil
6 leaves wong bok, left whole if small, or chopped, or a combination
1 Put chicken stock and water in a saucepan with 3 of the roughly chopped spring onions and 1 chopped chilli, and the garlic, ginger and coriander stems (set aside the leaves). Slowly bring to a gentle boil (this will extract more flavour), turn heat to lowest setting, cover pan with a lid then simmer for 20 minutes; it should not bubble. Turn off the heat and leave stock to infuse for 5-15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, remove all fat from chicken breasts, rinse and pat dry. Cut off the small pieces of chicken fillet, then cut the breasts in half. Cut the two fat pieces through the middle to make all pieces a similar thickness or thereabouts. Cut remaining spring onions and chilli into slivers. Put noodles in a colander and rinse well under running water.
3 Strain stock into a bowl then return it to the pan adding ½ tsp salt. Bring it back up to a very gentle bubble (turn to the lowest setting), add soy sauce and chicken breasts. Poach for 5-6 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through (poaching means the water is rippling, not bubbling; to check if the breasts are cooked, remove the fattest one from the stock and slice into the middle – there should be the merest hint of a blush). Transfer chicken breasts to a board with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
4 Meanwhile, fry tofu in a little hot oil in small frying pan until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
6 Add noodles to hot stock and heat through for 2 minutes. Add wong bok and cook for about 2 minutes, until crisp-tender, but not soft. Slice chicken and add to soup along with tofu and coriander leaves. Dish into bowls and garnish with chilli and spring onion.