Roast Chicken Noodle Soup 3
Two little roast chickens turned into a deep, gingery broth over rice noodles - the whole bird earns its keep, skin and bones and all.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 small chickens (about 1.2kg each)
salt, for seasoning
olive oil, for rubbing
For the broth
2 litres chicken stock (I used Massel - it's Australian made, vegetarian and not full of crap)
500ml water
4 spring onions, white parts only (green parts reserved for serving)
roots of 1 bunch coriander (leaves reserved for serving)
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
8 slices raw ginger
1 lemon, juiced
To serve
1 bunch choy sum, cut into 7cm lengths
1 packet (about 375g) dried fat rice noodles
fresh ginger, for grating
white pepper
coriander leaves, reserved from above
green parts of the spring onions, finely sliced
chilli sauce, to taste
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Pat the chickens dry and season generously with salt, then rub olive oil all over. Roast until cooked through, about 50 minutes to 1 hour - they're quite small.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch, then remove all the meat and set aside. Place the bones and any fatty excess and juices into a large saucepan.
Fill the saucepan with the chicken stock and water. Add the white parts of the spring onions, the coriander roots, the five-spice, sesame oil, ginger slices and lemon juice.
Bring to a simmer and allow the flavours to bloom for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, blanch the choy sum, and soften the rice noodles and divide them between six bowls.
To each bowl of noodles, grate over some fresh ginger and add a little sprinkle of white pepper. Top with the choy sum and slices of roast chicken, skin included - it's the best bit.
Strain the broth to remove all the bones and bits and pieces, then pour the steaming stock over each bowl.
Finish with the reserved coriander leaves, the finely sliced green spring onion and your favourite chilli sauce.
HINTS
The stock I reach for is Massel - Australian made, vegetarian despite the chicken flavour, and not full of the additives most stocks hide.
Roasting the birds first, then simmering the bones back into the stock, is what gives this soup its depth - nothing is wasted.
There's usually a little roast chicken left over, which is no bad thing - it's tomorrow's sandwich or a second, faster bowl.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 21000kJ (5020 calories)
Protein: 350g
Fat: 220g
Saturated fat: 60g
Carbohydrates: 320g
Sugars: 15g
Fibre: 12g
Sodium: 6500mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.