Uncle Ted's recipes #3: Chinese-style noodle soup with baked salmon or chicken

This was one if my favourite recipes to do when I first started really getting into cooking as both a way of life and hobby around the time I turned 12.  I really more so got into cooking when I was 16 but for years now this has been one of my favourite recipes to make and whenever I go back home from university to my mum's place its always a dish she asks me to cook.  This'll be a good one to cook for the family as you can easily do it in bulk as well as a smaller amount and it'll last for a fair while.  Not only that but this recipe has a notably smaller amount of salt and fat than the other two recipes I've done so far have.  Either way, this is great for summer as its reasonably light but also good for winter as it warms the cockles of one's heart.  So grab some prawn crackers and green tea and lets get on into this one!

Ingredients (serves 2-4 people)

500 g boneless salmon or chicken

3 x large pak choi

5 x stems of spring onion

6 x cloves of garlic

350-500g egg or udon noodles

20-30 g fresh ginger

1.5-1.75 litres vegetarian stock

Soya sauce

Mirin rice wine

Fish sauce

salt

pepper

1 x lemon (preferably unwaxed)

honey

50-75g fresh corriander

Utensils/tools:

1 x medium vegetable cutting knife

1 x small herbs/vegetable cutting knife

1 x garlic crusher

1 x tablespoon

1 x ladle

1 x large saucepan with a lid

1 x cutting board

1 x plate

a roll of kitchen paper

a roll of tin foil

1 x baking tray

1 x medium saucepan with a lid (but only if you're using egg noodles)

Method:

Step 1 - place the stock, and two tablespoons each of rice wine, soya and fish sauce and half the juice of the lemon into the large saucepan and turn onto a mid-low heat. Then peel and dice up the ginger and peel and crush the garlic before putting both seasoning ingredients into the soup mix.  Put the oven onto preheat at 200 C fan-forced.

Step 2 - wash the meat/fish with cold water and place onto a plate with a few layers of kitchen roll on it and place another few layers on top to dry out the fish/meat.  wash and then cut up the vegetables and leave on the cutting board.

Step 3 - place the salmon or chicken out of the kitchen roll onto a bed of foil in the baking tray and season each piece of fish/meat with half a tablespoon each of fish sauce, soya sauce, rice wine, some lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper and a tiny drizzle of honey then wrap the foil over the meat or fish and place in the oven.  If you're doing salmon then cook for 15-17 minutes but if its chicken then do it for 25-30.

Step 4 - if you're doing egg noodles then now would be a good time to place the medium saucepan filled 2/3 the way with warm or boiled water onto boil and cook them for about 3-5 mins before draining and then rinsing briefly with cold water.  If you're working with udon noodles though then just put them straight into the soup mix.

Step 5 -  5 minutes before the fish or meat is due to come out of the oven, put in the washed and cut up spring onions, pak choi and coriander into the soup mix.  When the fish or meat has finished cooking, turn the heat off and remove the lid.

Step 6 - use the ladle to dish up the noodle soup and place at least one piece of fish or chicken on top of each bowl of soup and lay on the table with a fork, spoon and pair of chopsticks for each person eating.

Serving recommendations: Serve with prawn toast and/or vegetable spring rolls and wash down with cold water and either green tea or Asahi beer.  Also, if you're lacking salmon or chicken or are a vegetarian then crack eggs into the soup and let them poach in there to get some protein and if you're a vegan then do the same method with the salmon or chicken but with some tofu and only cook it for 5 mins.

Like I said, this is a really nice one to make in bulk and particularly for the family as despite the long prep times, the actual length of time for cooking the meal is reasonably short.  Therefore, if you're also doing dinner parties then this would be a good one to set as the main meal.  Try this out with some variations if you like and until next time, have fun ,stay safe and take care!