Mushroom Noodle Soup (Mo Gu Miantiao Tang)

Name: Mushroom Noodle Soup (Mo Gu Miantiao Tang)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. canola oil; 1 lb. chicken wings; 4 scallions, cut into 1″ pieces; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 (2″) piece ginger, thinly sliced; 10 dried shiitake mushrooms; 8 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/4″ matchsticks; 4 scallions, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (3″) piece ginger, minced; 3 tbsp. soy sauce; 1 tbsp. rice vinegar; 1 lb. Chinese egg noodles; 1 cup canola oil; 3 red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes; 1 ⁄ 2 mirliton (chayote squash), cut into 1/4″ matchsticks; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; Asian chile paste, such as sambal oelek, for serving

Serves
serves 8

ARIANA LINDQUIST

A base of homemade chicken stock makes the broth for this soup luxuriously rich. This recipe first appeared in SAVEUR Issue #140, along with Beth Kracklauer's story Season of Plenty.

Ingredients

For the Chicken–Mushroom Stock

2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. chicken wings
4 scallions, cut into 1″ pieces
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (2″) piece ginger, thinly sliced
10 dried shiitake mushrooms

For the Soup

8 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/4″ matchsticks
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3″) piece ginger, minced
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 lb. Chinese egg noodles
1 cup canola oil
3 red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
¹⁄₂ mirliton (chayote squash), cut into 1/4″ matchsticks
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Asian chile paste, such as sambal oelek, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the stock: Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; brown wings, about 8 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, and 12 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken falls off the bone, about 1 hour. Pour broth through a fine strainer, discard solids, and set broth aside. Meanwhile, place mushrooms in a large bowl and pour over 4 cups boiling water; let sit until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms; set aside.

Step 2

Make the soup: Return saucepan to medium-high heat; add bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp, 14-16 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add reserved broth and mushroom soaking liquid; bring to a boil; add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 7 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and vinegar; keep warm.

Step 3

Heat oil in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat; working in batches, add potatoes and fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside. Add mirlitons to oil and fry until soft, about 30 seconds; transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tbsp. of oil, and return to medium heat. Add eggs and swirl skillet to make an omelette; cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, roll up omelette like a cigar, and cut crosswise into 1⁄4″-thick strips.

Step 4

To serve, divide noodle soup among 8 large serving bowls and top each with potatoes, mirliton, and egg strips. Serve with chile paste.

Correction: August 1, 2011 An earlier version of this recipe included an instruction to discard solids after soaking the mushrooms in step 1. The mushrooms should not be discarded.