This comforting noodle bowl balances silky sweet potato glass noodles with a spicy, sour, and deeply savory chicken and pickled vegetable broth.
Spicy & Sour Glass Noodles With Minced Chicken
“It’s not often I favour chicken over pork, but having tried this recipe in both guises, the lighter flavour of the chicken actually works better here and complements the pickled vegetables perfectly. Don’t get me wrong – chicken will never steal my heart as pork does (I am part Chinese, after all), but pork is somehow too flavoursome here. This is a favourite of mine when I’m feeling under the weather; the silky slippery noodles are comforting, while the spicy sour flavours feel like they’re doing battle in your body against whatever ails you.” — Lizzie Mabbott
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 150g dried sweet potato glass noodles
- 2 chicken thighs, skinned and deboned
- 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
- 30g sachet ready-sliced Sichuan zha cai (or any pickled vegetable)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 2 long red chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chilli bean paste (Toban Djan)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300ml chicken stock
- Steamed pak choi and sugar snap peas (or any greens of your choice), to serve
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 spring onions, diagonally sliced, to garnish
Method
1.Prep the noodles and chicken:Step 1.
Soak the sweet potato glass noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions until cooked through. While they soak, place the deboned chicken thighs and chopped ginger into a food processor and pulse until coarsely minced.
2.Stir-fry the aromatics and meat:Step 2.
Give the pickled vegetables a quick rinse and set them aside. Heat the cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Add the finely chopped garlic, the minced chicken-ginger mixture, and the red chillies. Stir-fry vigorously until the chicken is fully cooked and no pink meat remains.
3.Simmer the spicy broth:Step 3.
Add the chilli bean paste to the wok and stir-fry for a few seconds until the meat and aromatics are thoroughly coated and fragrant. Stir in the rinsed pickled vegetables, light soy sauce, Chinkiang black vinegar, sugar, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble gently for 10 minutes.
4.Steam the greens:Step 4.
While the broth is simmering down, lightly steam your pak choi and sugar snap peas (or chosen green vegetables) until crisp-tender.
5.Assemble and garnish:Step 5.
Divide the cooked glass noodles between two deep serving bowls and arrange the steamed greens on top. Ladle the minced chicken mixture and half of the rich, spicy broth into each bowl. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a scatter of sliced spring onions.
Chinatown Kitchen by Lizzie Mabbott is published by Hachette Australia.