Mien Ga
Dinner decisions, handled: Mien Ga pairs chicken thighs with glass noodles for a 60-minute Vietnamese dinner.
✓ USDA-verified nutrition data
416 calories
63g protein
10g carbs
14g fat
2g fiber
Ingredients
- 3 lb Chicken thighs
- 8 oz Glass noodles
- 1 oz Dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup Dried wood ear mushrooms
- 1 2-inch piece Fresh ginger
- 4 Shallots
- 1/4 cup Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Rock sugar
- 5 Scallions
- 1/2 cup Cilantro
- 1/4 cup Fried shallots
- 1 Lime
- 1 Red chili
Steps
- Soak the shiitakes and wood ears in warm water for 30 minutes. Save the shiitake soaking liquid and strain it; it is liquid umami and goes straight into the broth.
- Poach the chicken in 10 cups of water with the ginger and shallots at the barest simmer, about 170F, for 25 minutes. Never let it boil; boiling tightens the meat and clouds the broth.
- Lift out the chicken and rest it before shredding. Warm chicken shreds cleanly; cold chicken fights you.
- Add the mushroom soaking liquid, sliced shiitakes, and wood ears to the broth and simmer 15 minutes. Season with fish sauce and rock sugar until savory with a whisper of sweetness.
- Soak the glass noodles in warm water until pliable, then blanch 1 minute in boiling water. Keep them out of the main pot; glass noodles left in hot broth turn to mush within minutes.
- Divide noodles among bowls with shredded chicken and mushrooms, ladle over the hot broth, and finish with scallions, cilantro, fried shallots, lime, and chili.