Vietnamese Chicken Tapioca Noodle Soup (Bánh Canh Gà)

Ingredients

• 8 L / 33.8 US cup chicken and pork stock
• 1/2 cup dehydrated shrimp
• 10 chicken drumstick
• 2 bag tapioca noodle ((purchased from a local Asian grocery store))
• 1/2 kg duck giblet ((optional))
• 1 box blood jelly ((optional; We get it from the Asian butcher))
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 50 g / 0.11 rock sugar
• 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 2 tsp salt ((or to taste))
• coriander ((finely chopped))
• spring onion ((finely sliced))
• chili ((optional))
• lemon or lime
• fried shallots ((optional))

Instructions

1. 1

   Get your chicken and pork stock simmering in a large pot.

2. 2

   Throw in the dehydrated shrimps.

3. 3

   Wash the chicken drumsticks and bring the broth to a boil. Put the drumsticks in the stock for 20-25 minutes.

4. 4

   Scoop the chicken drumsticks out and run it under cold water to slow down the cooking process.

5. 5

   Transfer the drumsticks into a bowl of cold water for a few minutes, drain then pat them dry.

6. 6

   Refrigerate the chicken to keep the meat firm.

7. 7

   Lightly season the broth with 5 tbsp fish sauce and 50g rock sugar.

8. 8

   Cook the blood jelly in a separate small pot. If you don't eat blood jelly, skip this step.

9. 9

   Wash and add the duck giblets to the soup. If you don’t eat giblets, you can also give this step a miss.

10. 10

    Prepare the garnish: give each aromatic a double wash, drain and finely chop them.

11. 11

    Quarter the lemons or limes.

12. 12

    Take the chicken out of the fridge and shred it onto a communal serving dish.

13. 13

    Boil a pot of water and quickly soften the tapioca noodles. It will take no longer than a few minutes because it’s already cooked. Use a colander to drain the liquid out.

14. 14

    Serve the noodles with chicken, blood jelly, giblets and the seasoned broth.

15. 15

    Add the fried onions, coriander, spring onions and a squeeze of lemon or lime as the garnish.