Instant noodles are currently very popular across all Nigerian social classes, albeit with additions such as diced chicken or meat, and vegetables.
If you already have some chicken stock to hand, this soup can be made in the time it takes the chicken to cook. Use any type of noodles (egg or rice); or substitute them with spaghetti or vermicelli (cooking times will obviously vary). Make it as spicy or as mild as you like and add extra noodles for a stand-alone meal. I prefer to use chicken thighs as they have more flavour than the breast.
Ingredients
- 300g chicken thighs (washed, skinned and boned. Skin and bones reserved)
- 18 prawns (peeled and veins removed)
- 2 cloves garlic, about 8g (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
- 8 fresh closed cup mushrooms, finely sliced (any type will do, but brown chestnut mushrooms give additional flavour)
- 75g noodles
- 1.5L fresh chicken stock (see below)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- *For the stock
- 2 onions, about 300g (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves, about 12g (peeled and roughly chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Cameroon Pepper
- 4 carrots, about 400g (peeled and cut in half)
- 2 leeks, about 300g (topped and tailed and cut in half)
- 2 stalks celery, about 100g (topped and tailed and cut in half)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3L water
Instructions
- *To make the stock, first render the oil from the chicken skin by placing the skin in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking, cook until the skin is fried and completely dried out. Discard the skin (or eat it as the Chef's reward).
- *Brown the chicken bones in the extracted oil, add the onions and fry until translucent. Fry the bay leaves for a minute or so until the aroma is released. Sweat the garlic, leeks, celery and carrots (in that order) in the same saucepan, taking care not to burn them. Add the Cameroon pepper and water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any impurities but not oil. Turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- *Strain 1.5L of the stock into another saucepan, discarding the bones and vegetables. Cool and freeze any remaining stock.
- Add the chicken, garlic and ginger to the stock and bring to a boil. Partially cover the saucepan, and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken and let it cool down and then shred it into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the chicken to the saucepan with the mushrooms, soy sauce and noodles. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Add the prawns 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time to ensure they are not over-cooked.
- Adjust the seasoning and ladle the soup into individual bowls, scatter with the herbs and chopped chillies. Serve with some lime quarters and soy sauce on the side.
Notes
*These steps may be omitted if you already have some chicken stock. In which case, the chicken bones can either be frozen for future stock-making or added to the existing stock and discarded just before serving.
Although I like to use the oil from the chicken skin for additional flavour, you may use 2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil if you are trying to minimise the amount of animal fat you eat.
To serve
2 red chillies, roughly chopped
3 limes, quartered
20g mint and coriander, roughly chopped
Variations
- Add 4 tablespoons of sweetcorn and/or 2 spring onions (thinly sliced on the diagonal) with the noodles (reserve some spring onions to serve).
- Substitute the mint and coriander with finely shredded scent leaf.
Although I like to use the oil from the chicken skin for additional flavour, you may use 2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil if you are trying to minimise the amount of animal fat you eat.
To serve
2 red chillies, roughly chopped
3 limes, quartered
20g mint and coriander, roughly chopped
Variations
- Add 4 tablespoons of sweetcorn and/or 2 spring onions (thinly sliced on the diagonal) with the noodles (reserve some spring onions to serve).
- Substitute the mint and coriander with finely shredded scent leaf.