This month I have decided to focus on an ingredient that even the most well-mannered diners struggle to eat without looking ridiculous; noodles. My first experience of the street staple is something I will always remember. To start, I was taken aback by all the choices of noodles; rice, wonton, egg, glass, vermicelli and one I did not even recognise. I chose my favourite; rice noodles, to be the base of my dish and I was not disappointed with the look and taste of my meal. Then, as I sat down at my little table on the street corner, I remember being amazed at the sights and sounds of people eating around me. I even saw one man loudly inhale his whole plate of noodles in one go. It was that day I vowed to maintain my pretentious, westernised table manners and eat noodles with the silence and grace of which my mum would be proud. Today that vow has thankfully been broken, and you can find me on any street corner proudly chomping and slurping away; it does make them taste so much better.
So to celebrate my love for this food, I wanted to share a dish with you that at its core is simply delicious; noodle soup. Unlike other dishes I have made, this dish has fewer than 10 ingredients but still delivers on taste. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- 1 litre chicken stock (using a stock cube is fine)
- 200g egg noodles
- 3 spring onions (finely sliced into circles)
- 5cm piece of ginger (peeled and finely chopped into matchsticks)
- 2 tsps sesame oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- Handful of coriander (chopped)
These ingredients are all incredibly easy to find in any supermarket or fruit and veg stall and will not break the bank either. I tried making this dish with both fresh, homemade chicken stock and a stock cube, and I did not really notice too that much difference in the flavour of the two broths. So if you want to make this dish faff free, then just buy a stock cube. Job done!
Into your wok pour the chicken stock. Turn up the heat and bring the stock to the boil, then add the ginger. Reduce to a simmer and allow the ginger to cook for around 5 minutes.
Add your egg noodles to the stock, stir gently to make sure they do not clump together and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Once cooked, remove them from the stock and place into serving bowls. Drizzle the noodles with the sesame oil and toss the noodles to ensure they are evenly coated in the sesame oil. Leave the bowls of noodles to one side.
To the stock, add the oyster sauce and light soy sauce, stir and lightly simmer for 2 minutes.
Once cooked, grab a ladle and pour the broth over the noodles and sprinkle with the spring onions and coriander.
This was arguably the easiest dish I have made so far. Minimal prep and cooking time. After slurping these noodles and glugging the broth, I feel instantly nourished, rejuvenated and ready for the rest of the day. What is also great about this dish is that it can be a base for other ingredients to take centre stage. You can try it with different noodles, an array of proteins, veggies, herbs and spices, but as long as you have this broth as your base, you are assured your noodle soup will be delicious.
So this month, let’s see how much mess you can make in your kitchen AND whilst you’re eating!
