Khao soi

Before you start

• oil for frying the noodle nest — a small deep pan no more than a third full
• the crisp noodles fried before anything else, and drained

Ingredients

Serves 2 · dimmer marks are storecupboard

• 240gchicken thighs — bone in, if you do not mind eating round them
• 180mlcoconut milk
• 1½ tbspoil for frying
• 130gegg noodles — a handful of them kept back raw for the nest
• 3 tbspkhao soi curry paste — or red curry paste with an extra spoon of turmeric
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tspcurry powder
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tsppalm sugar
• 60gpickled mustard greens
• 2shallots
• 2limes
• 400mlchicken stock

Method

6 steps

1. fry · 9m

   A handful of the raw noodles pulled apart and dropped into a small deep pan of oil no more than a third full, which is never moved while it is hot. They puff and go gold in about twenty seconds, then straight onto paper. Done now, they stay crisp for hours.

2. fry · 7m

   Paste, turmeric and curry powder fried in the thick cream from the top of the coconut tin until the oil separates and beads at the edge.

3. simmer · 22m

   Chicken sealed in the paste, then stock and the rest of the coconut milk, and left at a low bubble until the chicken is cooked right through with no pink against the bone. It should not boil hard once the milk is in.

4. boil · 5m

   The rest of the noodles cooked in a separate pan, drained and divided between two deep bowls.

5. chop · 5m

   Shallots sliced paper thin, pickled greens rinsed and chopped, limes cut into wedges.

6. finish · 5m

   Fish sauce and palm sugar into the curry off the heat, then it goes over the noodles, the nest of crisp ones on top, and the shallots, pickles and lime put on the table for people to add themselves.