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Yunnan Chinese · Dinner

Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles

A ceremonial Yunnan rice-noodle bowl assembled from intensely hot chicken-ham broth, tender meats, quail egg, tofu skin, mushrooms, greens, herbs, and springy mixian.

About 3 hr 45 minTotal
About 3 hr 45 minActive
$$$Cost
AdvancedDifficulty
Makes 4 servings
Yunnan crossing-the-bridge rice noodles with clear hot broth, rice noodles, sliced chicken and pork, quail eggs, tofu skin, mushrooms, greens, and herbs.

Equipment

  • Use another 10- to 12-quart lidded stockpot with safe simmering headroom.

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

  • 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
  • 1 pound pork neck bones
  • 4 ounces Chinese cured ham or country ham
  • 12 cups water
  • 6 slices fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 8 ounces pork tenderloin, sliced paper-thin
  • 8 ounces chicken breast, sliced paper-thin
  • 8 quail eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
  • 4 ounces dried tofu skin, soaked and cut into ribbons
  • 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups mung bean sprouts
  • 8 ounces baby bok choy, separated into leaves
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh Yunnan rice noodles or thick fresh rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or neutral oil

Instructions

  1. Blanch chicken and pork bones 5 minutes, drain, and rinse. Put them in a with ham, water, and ginger; bring to a bare simmer, skim, and cook 2 1/2 hours. Strain, skim only excess fat, and season with salt and white pepper.

  2. Bring the strained broth to a rolling boil. In small batches, poach pork to 145°F and chicken to 165°F, transferring the cooked slices to a covered platter. Blanch tofu skin and mushrooms 2 minutes, then sprouts and bok choy 30 seconds.

  3. Cook rice noodles separately according to their package, rinse briefly only if required, and drain. Preheat four large heatproof ceramic bowls with boiling water, then empty and dry them.

  4. Put 1/2 tablespoon chicken fat in each hot bowl and add boiling broth. Arrange cooked pork, chicken, quail eggs, tofu skin, mushrooms, sprouts, and bok choy on platters so diners can add them in stages.

  5. Bring bowls and platters to the table immediately. Add cooked proteins first, then vegetables and noodles, and finish with cilantro and scallion; warn diners that the insulating oil layer keeps the broth deceptively hot.

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