Soy braised chicken noodles

This recipes takes the original combination of coriander, pepper, garlic paste and soy sauce — but the shortcut of using chicken thighs makes the process quicker.

Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 250 ml (1 cup) hot water
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp white peppercorns
• 6 coriander stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
• 60 ml (¼ cup) Chinese Shaoxing wine
• 60 ml (¼ cup) light soy sauce 
• 60 ml (¼ cup) dark soy sauce 
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2  whole star anise
• 4 thick slices ginger 
• 55 g (¼ cup) sugar
• Sea salt
• 400g fresh Chinese egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
• 100g Chinese broccoli (gai lan), blanched until tender, halved
• Coriander leaves, to serve

Instructions

1. Soak the mushrooms in the hot water for 20 minutes or until softened.
2. Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic, peppercorns and coriander stalks until a rough paste forms.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the paste and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear for 3 minutes or until the skin is lovely and golden. Turn the chicken piece over and sear for another minute or until just starting to colour. Add Shaoxing wine and simmer for 1 minute, then add the soy sauces.
4. Turn the chicken pieces over, so that the skin side is sitting in the soy sauce braising liquid. Add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger, sugar, mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid (leaving any gritty bits behind) and 500 ml (2 cups) water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and has turned a deep mahogany colour.
5. Preheat the grill to high. Remove the chicken and place on a baking tray, skin-side up. Place under the hot grill and cook for 5 minutes or until skin has taken on a little bit of charred colour at the edges.
6. Taste the braising liquid and season to taste with salt if needed. Add the cooked noodles to four shallow serving bowls and top with the cooked Chinese broccoli and mushrooms. Thickly slice the chicken and place on top of the noodles. Ladle over the chicken braising liquid, top with coriander leaves and serve.
   

Watch how to make this recipe in Episode 5 of Marion Grasby's Flavours Of Heart & Home streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.