Lemongrass Chicken Broth
(Yields 4 quarts)

METHOD

Add whole chicken and water to an 8-quart stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim the impurities that float to the top with a fine, round strainer. Turn down to a simmer.

Warm a sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil. Add the aromatics and cook until caramelized and charred, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add to the simmering chicken broth. Continue to cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove chicken from the broth and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Let rest until cool enough to handle, about 3-5 minutes. Begin pulling the meat and skin from the bones and reserve for later. Skin is optional.

Add seasoning and the bones back to the pot. Continue to simmer until reduced to roughly 4 quarts, about 25-30 minutes. You can use this time to boil and peel the quail eggs (see below; 5 minutes from boiling point), make your chili oil, roll out your noodles, cut your limes, and cut your cilantro-scallion medley.

With a fine, round strainer, remove the cooked bones and aromatics until only broth remains. Reserve until ready to build a noodle bowl. Broth can be refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for 1 month.

Rice Noodles
(Serves 8)

METHOD

First: CAUTION: Noodle dough is very hot when mixing and kneading with your hands. I recommend using clean dishwashing gloves or a double layer of nitrile/latex gloves.

Add all flour and starch to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Slowly and carefully add the hot water and knead until combined and smooth. Lay out dough on a table and continue to knead until dough comes together. Add 1 tablespoon of water if it’s too dry, but no more than 2 tablespoons.

Roll dough into a log and cut to 8 equal portions weighing roughly 200 grams each. Cover dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out while rolling and cutting the noodles. It’s easier to work with when warm, so immediately roll out dough into a flat sheet and cut noodles a quarter-inch wide.

If using a pasta roller, turn it to the thickest setting possible. Dust the work surface with tapioca starch. Flatten a dough ball with the palm of your hands. Use the rolling pin to flatten it further. Fold the sides in to make a square. Flatten one more time with a rolling pin. Pass it through the pasta roller to make a long sheet, then feed it through the fettuccini cutter.

If using a rolling pin, roll the dough into long sheets about 5” x 8” long and cut noodle strands by hand. Dust with tapioca starch to keep dry. Good for 3 days.

Chili Oil

METHOD

Add oil and garlic into a stainless steel saucepan and cook over medium heat until garlic begins to turn a light golden brown. Turn off heat. Stir often to prevent garlic from sticking and browning too quickly. Let cool for 5 minutes. Combine both chilis and salt. Add chili mixture to the hot garlic oil. Stir to combine.

In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles, gently breaking them up with chopsticks or thin tongs. Cover with lid and turn heat down to medium-low. Maintain a vigorous simmer for 6 minutes. Reduce heat if broth begins to spit out under the lid.

Check noodles halfway to make sure they aren’t clumped together or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Loosen with chopsticks and/or rubber spatula if needed.

Turn off heat and remove the lid. Stir in chicken meat and quail eggs. Transfer to bowl and top with condiments of choice; Jeff recommends all of them.