John Torode’s Asian chicken noodle soup

This is more like a bowl of noodles and less like a soup – similar to the way they do it in Asia. The broth should be strongly flavoured and steaming hot.

Serves 6 Prep 20 mins ■ ■

Cook 15 mins

■

4 skinless chicken breasts

60ml sake (if you don’t have sake,

use vodka instead) thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled

and sliced into matchsticks 3 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal, and white and green parts separated

150ml soy sauce

4 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, grated

600g thick white noodles (such

as udon)

2 large long red Serrano chillies, seeds left in and sliced on the diagonal

1 large egg, beaten small pack coriander

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds seaweed flakes, to serve (optional)

1 Slice the chicken breasts into strips about 1cm wide and the full length of the breast. Briefly marinate the chicken in the vodka, then set aside for a few mins. 2 Mix the ginger with the white parts of the spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic.

3 Put 2 litres of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour in the ginger and soy mixture, then reduce the heat and cook just below a simmer for 5 mins.

4 Add the chicken and vodka mix, noodles and chillies to the stock, and turn up the heat. As soon as the broth comes to the boil, turn off the heat. Slowly pour the egg into the broth, stirring all the time. Add the green parts of the spring onions and stir through. Leave to sit for 2 mins.

5 Ladle the soup evenly into six bowls. Sprinkle with the coriander and toasted sesame seeds, and a few seaweed flakes. PER SERVING 297 kcals, fat 6g, saturates 1g, carbs 29g, sugars 5g, fibre 3g, protein 28g, salt 3.8g