Rice Noodle Soup With Ham And Lettuce Recipe Epicuriouscom

RICE NOODLE SOUP WITH HAM AND LETTUCE

Steps:

• Cover chicken with 12 cups water in a 6- to 8-quart pot.
• Cut off one third of ham (trim if necessary) and cut into 1/3-inch dice, then chill. Add remaining two thirds ham to pot.
• Trim scallions, then cut 1 scallion into thin slices and reserve. Cut remaining scallions crosswise into thirds and add to pot along with ginger, garlic, and cilantro stems.
• Cook chicken, uncovered, at a bare simmer 3 hours (do not let boil), skimming foam as necessary. (Do not stir, or stock will be cloudy.)
• Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board, reserving stock. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove breast meat and shred into 3-inch-long strips, discarding skin. Chill strips and reserve remaining chicken for another use. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids and skimming off fat (see cooks' note, below).
• Bring 6 cups stock with salt to a simmer.
• While stock is coming to a simmer, bring about 2 quarts water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Soak noodles in a bowl of very hot water until softened, about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander. Add noodles to boiling water and cook 1 minute, then add lettuce and cook 30 seconds. Drain in a colander.
• Using tongs, divide noodles and lettuce among 6 deep bowls, forming small nests, then top with shredded chicken and diced ham. Ladle 1 cup hot broth into each bowl and sprinkle with sliced scallion.

LEMONY RICE SOUP WITH HAM AND SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and rice; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is almost tender, about 16 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and simmer until rice and asparagus are tender, about 4 minutes. Mix in ham, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and peel. Simmer 2 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired.

CRAB AND SHRIMP RICE NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Pour the 3 1/2 quarts water into a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the crab and cook, clean, and pick it as directed on page 322. Set the meat and the tomalley and fat aside. If you don't like the tomalley and fat, discard them along with the shell bits. Reserve 3 quarts (12 cups) of the cooking liquid for the broth.
• To rehydrate the dried shrimp, put them in a small saucepan with the 1 1/4 cups water, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly soft. Drain the shrimp into a sieve placed over a bowl and let cool completely. Add the cooking liquid to the reserved crab cooking liquid.
• Put the cooled shrimp in a food processor and process to grind to a coarse texture. Add the crabmeat and tomalley and fat. Pulse 3 times to combine but not pulverize the crabmeat. Transfer to a bowl and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, and the egg whites. Set aside.
• In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant and a bit soft. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and bring to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.
• Add the shrimp sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, for reheating the noodles; ready the scallions and cilantro for assembling the bowls; and arrange the garnishes on a plate or put them in small dishes and put on the table.
• Keeping the broth at a gentle simmer, use a large spoon to slowly stir it in one direction, scraping the bottom of the pot. As you stir with one hand, use the other to pour in the egg mixture. Keep stirring, and as soon as the egg mixture floats to the top, remove the spoon. Let the broth cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. When small bubbles break the surface, the soup is done. The broth underneath will be golden and clear with some solids at the bottom. Lower the heat so the broth stays warm while you assemble the bowls.
• When the water has reached a boil, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. After 5 to 10 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl and repeat with the remaining portions, while proceeding to assemble each bowl.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer an equal portion of the floater to each bowl, on top of the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil, taste, and salt, if necessary. Ladle 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly. Top with the scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with the garnishes. It is customary for diners to add some vegetables, torn herb leaves, and squeezes of fresh line. Anyone wanting a brinier bowl should mix in a dab of shrimp sauce, while heat seekers should add a little of the chile-garlic mix.
• Notes
• To split and curl water spinach stems, use only the hollow portion of the stems, removing all leaves and tender stems (save those for a stir-fry, page 178). Soak the stems in water for 5 minutes to make them easier to split. A knife is traditionally used to split the stems, but a water spinach splitter (dao che rau muong, literally "knife for splitting water spinach"), available at Vietnamese markets, works much better. The thin metal rod attached to the round plastic top contains a set of sharp blades arranged like wheel spokes. Slide the splitter into the stem and then push the stem through the blades until about 4 inches of split stem protrudes. Grab the split portion and pull on it to drag the remaining stem portion through the blades. Deposit the shreds in a bowl of cold water and let soak for 15 minutes to curl. Drain before using.
• For information on banana blossoms, see page 52. Simply remove some of the bracts, stack them, and then slice them. Soak for 10 minutes in 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar and water to cover. Then massage and drain them.

PORK & RICE NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first six ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender., Add rice noodles, pepper strips and water chestnuts; cook 30-35 minutes longer or until noodles are tender. If desired, skim soup. Just before serving, stir in cilantro and lime juice.

RACHIE'S HAM BONE SOUP

Steps:

• Place ham bone in a medium stock pot. Fill water to just cover ham bone.
• Bring water to a boil and add carrots, celery, potato, onion, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Reduce heat to a medium simmer. Simmer 1 hour.
• Add lentils.
• 10 minutes before serving, bring back to a boil and add egg noodles.
• 5 minutes before serving, add peas.
• Serve when noodles are cooked to desired "doneness".

HEARTY RICE NOODLE SOUP RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a 32-ounce (950 ml) wide-mouth mason jar, combine the vegetable stock, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, hearty spice blend, soy sauce, and noodles. Cover the mouth of the jar with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power for 5 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
• Peel carrot and zucchini into ribbons.
• Carefully remove the jar from the microwave and remove the plastic wrap. Add the zucchini, carrot, and tofu. Recover the jar with the plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
• Enjoy!

HANOI SPECIAL RICE NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Put the chicken pieces, salt, and the 4 quarts water into a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and then use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Add the onion and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove the breast from the pot and set aside in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to prevent it from drying out. Add the pork bones, squid, and fish sauce to the pot. Raise the heat to high to return to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer gently. Again, skim off any scum. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.
• When the breast has finished soaking, drain the water and set the breast aside. Allow it to cool completely, then shred the meat with your fingers into fine pieces about 1/8 inch wide, pulling it along its natural grain and discarding the bones and skin. Put the chicken shreds in a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
• To rehydrate the dried shrimp, put them in a small saucepan with the 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly soft. Drain the shrimp into a sieve placed over a bowl. Add the cooking liquid to the simmering broth. Let the shrimp cool completely, then put it into a food processor or electric mini-chopper and process to grind to a fine texture. Transfer to a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
• When the broth is ready, use tongs to transfer the pork bones to a large bowl filled with cold water. Let them soak for 5 minutes to prevent them from drying out and turning dark. Drain the pork bones, let cool until they can be handled, and then remove the meat, discarding the bones and any odd bits. Use your fingers to break the meat into pea-sized pieces or tear it into fine shreds. Put in a small container, cover, and refrigerate.
• Position a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) over a pot and gently ladle the broth into the sieve. Discard the solids, including the chicken parts. (Th is seems wasteful, but these parts are spent.) Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.) There should be about 3 quarts (12 cups) broth.
• Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat while you are assembling the bowls. At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, for reheating the noodles. Make sure the chicken, shrimp, pork, egg, and sausage are at room temperature; ready the Vietnamese coriander and pepper for assembling the bowls; and put the shrimp sauce, preserved radish, and chiles on the table.
• Place a portion of the noodles on a large vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. After 5 to 10 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl and repeat with the remaining portions, while proceeding to assemble each bowl as the noodles are reheating and draining. Visually divide up each bowl into quadrants. Cover 1 quadrant with chicken, the next quadrant with egg, and the third one with sausage. If you have less shrimp and pork than the other ingredients, fill the remaining quadrant with half of each; if you have lots of pork, cover the quadrant with it, and put the shrimp in the center. Put some Vietnamese coriander in the middle, and then sprinkle with pepper.
• Raise the heat on the broth and bring to a rolling boil. Do a final taste test, adding more salt, if necessary. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with the fine shrimp sauce, preserved radish, and chiles. Diners should stir in about 1/4 teaspoon shrimp sauce to finish their bowls. The radish and chiles add crunch and heat.