Recipe: Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken (Thai)

CURRY NOODLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN

FOR THE NOODLES:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided use
1 pound fresh very thin egg noodles (ba mee)*
FOR THE SOUP:
4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon yellow curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 pound skinless, boneless white meat chicken, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon lime juice
Chicken stock (if needed)
FOR GARNISH:
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, quartered
pickled cabbage (optional)

TO FRY THE NOODLES:
Heat 2 cups peanut oil in a medium deep pot until one noodle added to it crisps immediately. Add 1/4 pound (2 cups) noodles to pot and allow them to color on one side; turn and color on other side. (When noodles are placed in oil it will foam up and noodles will puff a little.) Remove noodles, drain and place on absorbent towel. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE SOUP:
Open one can of coconut milk and remove 1/2 cup of the cream at top; set aside. Shake remaining cans to combine cream and milk; open and stir well to blend.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 2-quart pot. Saute garlic over medium heat until it begins to color.

Add red and yellow curry pastes and reserved 1/2 cup coconut cream and stir well to heat pastes and cream.

Add remaining coconut milk; reduce heat to medium-low and add fish sauce and sugar; stir well.

Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes longer.

Stir in lime juice. If mixture is too thick add some chicken stock. Soup can be made up to this point and set aside for one hour.

WHEN READY TO SERVE:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook one minute or less: they should be soft but firm.

Drain noodles and spoon into each of four large bowls. Ladle in soup and top with crispy fried noodles, green onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and with pickled cabbage, if desired.

*If ba mee noodles are not available, fresh angel hair pasta may be used.

Servings: 4
From: Regent Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Adapted from source: The Lakeland Ledger; January 11, 2001