Method :
Rinse chicken under running hot water, drain, and place in a stew pan or stockpot. Add 2 quarts of water and place over medium heat.
Peel the ginger and cut into thick slices. Trim the scallions, setting aside the green tops from two of them for garnish.. Place the mushrooms, ginger, the whole scallions, and 2 scallion whites in the pot, cover and bring slowly to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken very gently with the pan covered, for 1 hour. Do not allot the broth to boil or it will become cloudy. Skim occasionally.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for approximately 51/2 minutes until al dente. Drain and divide among six soup bowls.
Dip the bean curd into cold water to rinse, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Remove the chicken from the stock in a wire ladle. Drain for several minutes, then remove the skin. Tear the meat into thin shreds. Remove the mushrooms, drain and trim stems close to the caps. Strain the stock, discarding ginger and scallions. Add salt and a splash of light soy sauce to taste.
Add several pieces of bean curd, a mushrooms , and a portion of chicken to each bowl of noodles. Pour in the hot broth. Slice the reserved scallion greens, cutting them diagonally. Scatter onto the noodle soup and serve. Notes : When soft tofu is handled, all too often it will collapse into a mush before it reaches the dish it was intended for. To cut it into even-sized cubes that can be easily slipped into the dish you're preparing, hold the cake in the palm of your hand and gently cut downward with a knife that is not excessively sharp. Slide the cubes from your hand directly into the wok or pan. In this way you can avoid the excess handling that causes tofu to break up.
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