Chicken Long Rice
serves 6
Chicken Long Rice is a classic Hawaiian dish with countless variations. It's more of a noodle dish than a soup, with the mung bean noodles standing in as the "long rice." This recipe is part of Domenica Marchetti's Soup Kitchen. For more on this recipe, read Domenica's post at the Cookthink blog.
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
1 cup thickly sliced coins fresh ginger
1/4 packed cup opai (dried baby shrimp)
6 cups best quality fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
Sea salt, preferably Hawaiian
4 large dried shiitake mushrooms
6 to 7 ounces mung bean noodles
1 bunch scallions, ends trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices
Toasted sesame oil or chili oil, for garnish
prep: 30 minutes
total: 3 hours
large soup pot or Dutch oven
large slotted spoon
cheesecloth
medium pot
2 medium bowls
ladle
1. Arrange the chicken thighs in the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven and scatter 3/4 cup of the ginger slices and all of the opai over them.
2. Pour the chicken broth and water over the thighs and set the pot on the stove over a medium-high flame. Bring the broth to a boil and skim any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low so that the broth maintains a gentle simmer. Simmer the broth for about 2 hours, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the broth has developed a good depth of flavor. Taste the broth for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and with a large slotted spoon remove the chicken thighs to a large bowl to cool. Strain the broth through two layers of damp cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard the ginger. (You may either retrieve the shrimp and return them to the broth or discard them. At this point they have given up their flavor to the broth, but nonetheless they have a pleasant chewy texture that I find enjoyable in the soup.)
4. Remove the skin and bones from the cooled chicken thighs and discard. With your fingers, pull the meat into shreds.
5. Return the pot of broth to the stove and add the remaining 1/4 cup of ginger slices and the shredded chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat.
6. While the broth is heating, put the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot water over them (either very hot tap water or boiling water works). Soak the mushrooms for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are completely softened. Drain and trim off the stems. Cut the caps into very thin slices and add them to the soup.
7. Place the mung bean noodles in a separate bowl and pour very hot or boiling water over them. Soak for 7 minutes. Drain the noodles and cut them into spaghetti-length strands. Add the noodles and 1 cup of the scallions to the soup and raise the heat to medium. Boil the noodles for 3 minutes and then turn off the heat. Cover and let the soup sit for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining scallions and a few drops of sesame or chili oil if you like.
