Chicken and Glass Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Recipe

Chicken and Glass Noodle Soup
Mien Ga

• 1-1/2 tablespoons yellow rock sugar, or 1 tablespoon white refined sugar and 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce (or a combination of the two)
• 4 quarts chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tree ear or other dried or fresh mushrooms, sliced in thin strips (about 5 to 6 dried mushrooms, reconstituted by covering with boiling water, soaking for 15 to 20 minutes, draining, and removing the stems)
• 1 or 2 sliced or julienned red serrano, jalapeño, Fresno, or Thai chiles (optional)
• 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds cooked chicken meat (the amount that a 2-1/4-pound fryer will yield), hand shredded or cut into bite-size chunks
• Giblets from 1 chicken, cooked and finely chopped (optional)
• 2 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch sections
• 12 ounces glass noodles (cellophane), soaked in very hot water until just softened, drained, and rinsed in cool water
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro or Vietnamese coriander leaves (optional)

How To Cook

1 In a heavy preheated pot or Dutch oven, add the sugar and caramelize slightly until a light golden brown; add the garlic and shallots, stir for a moment, and then add the fish sauce and broth.

2 Bring the broth to a boil, then add the mushrooms and chiles. Boil for 1 minute and then add the chicken and giblets, if using. When the broth returns to a boil, add the scallions and noodles, and bring to a boil again; remove from the heat, taste for seasoning, add salt or fish sauce as

Sour Soup with Fish - Vetnamese Recipe

Sour Soup with Fish
Canh Ca Chua
Sour soups are often part of a multicourse Vietnamese meal on special occasions, but they are also hearty enough to serve as a lunch or light supper entree. My friend Khai Dzoan, chef at his mother’s Cam Van Dzoan restaurant in Saigon, taught me this recipe. Not really that sour but tangy from tamarind, the soup is loaded with flavors from pineapple, chiles, lemongrass, herbs, shrimp, and fresh fish. Khai’s recipe also called for taro stem, but I have omitted that, as it is a difficult find in the West. Serve with steamed rice or add noodles for a full meal.
 
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds fresh fish fillets (catfish, bass, snapper, halibut, grouper, etc.), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
• 1 large or 2 medium shallots, minced
• 8 cups fish stock, chicken stock, or water
• 1 ounce tamarind pulp, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water and strained (reserve water)
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled, lightly crushed, and cut into 2-inch sections
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cooked baby shrimp
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1 to 2 red serrano or Thai chiles, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 to 3 okra pods, stems removed and sliced into quarters lengthwise
• 1 tomato, sliced into 8 wedges
• 2 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces diagonally
• 1/3 cup mixed cilantro and mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• Lime wedges

How To Cook
Marinate the fish pieces in 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and the shallots. Place the stock in a large pot with the tamarind water, garlic, lemongrass, sugar, remaining fish sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lemongrass. Add the fish, shrimp, pineapple, chiles, bell pepper, and okra, and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is almost done. Add the tomato and scallions, and simmer another 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the herbs and lime wedges.