Coconut Noodle Soup (Wheat Noodles with Thick Coconut Soup)

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken legs with thighs
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• sea salt

• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-inch piece of ginger
• 1 dried red chili
• 1/4 cup peanut (or other vegetable) oil

• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 8 oz. coconut milk
• 5 shallots, peeled and cut in half

• 8 oz. wheat noodles, rice noodles, or vermicelli

• 4 hard cooked eggs
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup red pepper flakes
• 4 limes, cut in wedges

Directions

To make the broth, cut the chicken into four pieces.  Rub with turmeric and salt.  Cook the chicken in the chicken stock plus 1 qt. water until opaque, about 20 minutes.  Take out the chicken and remove the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces.  Into the chicken broth add the chick pea flour mixed with 1 cup cold water and boil for 10 minutes.

To make the paste, process in a food processor or grind in a mortar and pestle the shallot, garlic, and dried red pepper.

To make the soup, in a large pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil.  Stir in the paste and cook, stirring until fragrant.  Stir in the thickened chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Add fish sauce with a sprinkling of turmeric and the halved shallots, and boil for 10 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk and return to the boil.  Taste and add fish sauce to taste.  Stir in the cooked chicken.

When ready to serve bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Stir in the wheat noodles and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain well and put in a bowl.  Reheat the soup, stirring.  Ladle the soup over mounds of noodles in individual bowls and serve with bowls of sliced hard-cooked eggs, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, red pepper flakes, and lime wedges.  Serves 6.  MSR (Recipe adapted from a local  Myanmar cookbook)