Chinese Noodle Soup
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INGREDIENTS 4 dried Chinese mushroooms, 1 to 1-½ inches in diameter
½ cup cooked chicken, sliced 1/8-inch thick and cut into 1-inch squares
½ cup Roast Pork, prepared according to recipe, sliced 1/8-inch thick
½ cup Smithfield Ham, sliced 1/8-inch thick and cut into 1 inch squares
¼ cup thinly sliced canned bamboo shoots
½ cup loosely packed watercress leaves
½ pound fresh Chinese egg noodles, or substitute narrow Italian egg noodles
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock, fresh or cannedPREPARE AHEAD
In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with ½ cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Discard the water. With a cleaver or sharp knife, cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms, and cut the caps in half.
Have the mushrooms, noodles, chicken stock, bamboo shoots, watercress, salt, chicken, pork and ham within easy reach.
TO COOK
In a 3 or 4-quart pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the noodles and boil them vigorously, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the noodles through a large sieve and run cold water over them to stop their cooking. Now, bring the stock to a boil in the same pot, add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, watercress, salt and noodles, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for about 2 minutes.
To serve, lift the noodles and vegetables out of the simmering soup with a bamboo strainer or slotted spoon, and transfer them to a large tureen or serving bowl. Arrange the chicken, pork and ham on top of them. Pour in the soup stock down one side of the bowl as to not disturb the arrangement. Serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6