By YoYo Zhang
Having eaten too many bowls of “Chicken Noodle Soup” in places like Cosi and Potbelly sandwiches, I have decided to share the recipe for the proper version of CNS. As the name suggests, the main ingredients consist of chicken, noodle, and soup. There shouldn’t be carrots, there shouldn’t be celery, and the noodle shouldn’t be macaroni or fusilli.
First the soup. The soup should be made from a whole chicken, preferably an old hen. After you buy the chicken, rinse it under running water and remove any hairs the butcher might have missed. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and cut into pieces, separating the drum with the thigh and the wings with the body.
Put the chicken into a large pot and cover completely with water. Add a couple pieces of ginger and a tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine. Bring to the boil and skim any scum on the surface. Cover and simmer for at least one and one-half hours. The soup should be very aromatic and the broth itself should be clear.
In the meantime, cut a cross into the roots of Shanghai greens to make them cook faster and blanch them in salted boiling water with a tablespoon of vegetable oil for a bright green color.
After the soup is done, take the chicken pieces out of the pot and use a fork to separate the meat from the bone. Boil flour noodles for two minutes and place in serving bowl. Add the blanched greens and chicken, ladle in soup and salt to taste.
For people who have more time on their hands, render some pork fat to add on top of the noodles for extra flavor.
Happy cooking!
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