Comfort food: chicken soup (Chinese style)

(5-6 servings)

Dad loves soup so mum has been making soup for dinner ever since i remember. I used to hate having to drink Chinese soup at the end (or others do it at the beginning like at the restaurants) of the meal - i think it's because i was always already so stuffed from the food and the soup is always too hot to drink! Of course it was only after i moved out of home that i realised how delicious and comforting and warming soup is. So i have had to go back to mum and ask her about these secrets to making chinese-style soup. The advice she gave me was;

i) you need meat to make the soup taste nice

ii) use these dried goods to help give flavour (see pics below)

iii) the longer you cook the soup the better, and don't forget the salt at the end!

Anyhow, after a few attempts i think i'm almost there. It seems so easy but it never tastes as nice as mum's. Usually Chinese soup is just served as a starter or a finisher to the meal, i guess to warm the stomach and the whole body! 

Served simply as a starter: broth with a bit of shallots for crunch!

However, as there's only 2 of us, we usually serve the soup up as a whole meal with noodles and vegetables, which isn't very traditional but feels much more resourceful and filling!

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 2-8hrs (or overnight in the thermal cooker) + 10min to cook vegetables

Ingredients
2 chicken carcasses (1 bag of bones from the local butcher)
0.5 kg of chicken drumsticks
1 x 3cm piece ginger
1/2 C dried fish OR 螺片 lo pin (sea snail) OR dried shiitake mushroom stems

i) dried fish pieces, ii) dried sea snail, iii) dried mushroom stems
(each has a different taste it adds to the soup, so just choose one!)

To serve (as a meal):
1kg chicken maryland
2 bunches green vegetables (gai lan or bok choy)
Fresh shiitake, enoki and/or oyster mushrooms
1kg thin rice noodles or white spaghetti
2 sprigs shallots, finely chopped
toasted sesame seeds

Choose any or all of these (left to right): gai lan or chinese broccoli, oyster mushrooms
shiitake mushrooms (top), green bok choy (bottom)

Method
1. Clean the carcasses by removing any innards. Take the skin off the chicken drumsticks and place into a large pot. 
2.  Place the extra dry ingredients and ginger in. Pour 3-4 L of water in and bring to the boil for 30 minutes, then simmer for 1-2 hours (or place in a thermal/magic cooker for several hours).
3. Skim the surface for any fat and discard. Drain all the soup ingredients via a sieve into a large bowl. Wash the pot then put the soup back in and bring to the boil. 
NB. Traditionally we don't always do this step as mum says the longer the bones are in, the more taste will come from it! However, i like having a clean broth so i drain my soup.

4. Bring the soup to the boil, then place the chicken in. Bring back to the boil then set aside for 30 minutes to poach the chicken. Remove from the soup, cool and shred and place into serving bowls.
5. Meanwhile, remove the noodles from the packet and place in a colander. Pour over with boiling water to separate the noodles and remove the oil, or you may need to cook in boiling water for a few minutes to loosen them before draining. Place the noodles into the bowls.

6. Clean and chop the greens into 5cm lengths. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices. 

7. Bring the soup back to the boil then place the vegetables into the soup for a few minutes until softened then remove and place into serving bowls. Then place the mushrooms into the soup until soft (approx 3-5min).

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or bok choy variations

8. Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with sesame seeds and chopped shallots!

Spoon full of goodness!