家常便饭 – 鸡丝通心粉 (Chicken Macaroni Soup)

This recipe of chicken macaroni soup reminds me of the soup noodles that my mum used to cook for us when we were young. She likes to cook the broth with ikan bilis first, and then use the broth to cook thick yellow noodles, some vegetables, and then maybe some fishballs or fish cake slices. The soup would be bland and so would the ingredients, and I recall I really didn’t like it at all. But it’s still cooked with hardship and love, with the limited amount of time and money she has. So, every Saturday, after I get back home from my art lessons at Jin Tai Primary School, I would sit down in front of the television in the living room and I would I always try my best to finish the whole bowl of soup noodle while I watch the programmes on television. I also remember those Chinese medium kiddish shows shown on the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) with the 3D clay figurines that move around stiffly and are animated to tell us stories from the past – ‘阿公讲古’。It’s kind of boring but back then, with no Netflix and no internet, so I would take comfort from whatever’s showing on tv and try my best to finish the noodles because it’s a big bowl filled with broth. That usually takes me an hour or so.

Because of this conditioning since young, every time I come across such Chinese medium children’s programming on television, I think of the soup noodle that my mum used to cook for me. And every time I see soup noodles, especially those with yellow noodles, I get turned off immediately. I grew up avoiding soupy dishes because of its link to the past, not that I am holding on to any grudges against my mum but, maybe, subconsciously, because I don’t want to go back to how things used to be anymore.

So why am I still trying out this recipe? Because chicken macaroni soup is a popular dish that’s sold in hawker centers and restaurants. Especially in Hong Kong where the Cantonese community love their soup and noodles combined, this is a (surprisingly) popular dish that can be found everywhere along the streets. This recipe doesn’t follow the Cantonese style though, as it was taken off the Home Economics book that I still keep at home. I may try out the recipe for Hong Kong style macaroni soup next time as well (it’s slightly milkier and has ham and egg instead of shredded chicken and vegetables), but for now, I shall eat this version to calm my soul (after all, it’s chicken soup for the soul), but it’s definitely not going to be a staple for me anytime soon!

Ingredients:

  • Chicken thigh: 2
  • Water: 750ml
  • Salt: a pinch + a pinch
  • Macaroni: 200g
  • Fishball: 12, halved
  • Bok choy: 100g, rinsed and sliced
  • Chicken stock cube: 1
  • Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
  • Shaoxing wine: 1 tbsp
  • White pepper: a pinch
  • Egg: 3 (optional)
  • Coriander: 1 stalk, finely chopped

Method:

  1. Boil chicken thigh in water with a pinch of salt.
  2. Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken to cool. Shred and set aside.
  3. Remove scum from chicken broth. Set broth aside.
  4. Cook macaroni in water with a pinch of salt. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  5. Scoop into 3 bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
  6. Cook fishball and bok choy in broth. Add chicken stock cube, sesame oil, shaoxing wine and white pepper.
  7. Scoop fishball and bok choy equally onto macaroni in the bowls.
  8. Scoop broth equally into bowls. Serve warm with poached eggs and coriander.

Disclaimer:

  • This recipe was kindly adapted from my Secondary School Home Economics Book (1E).

Serving:
3 persons

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