Sotanghon (vermicelli) with chicken & wood ears

While most cooks soak the sotanghon noodles in cold water prior to cooking, I prefer to add the dry noodles to the pan and make them absorb as much chicken stock as they can. This way, the cooked dish is more flavorful. For good soup stock, do not use chicken fillets. Use a whole chicken, with the bones. Most of the flavor come from the bones.

Leeks have a stronger flavor than onion leaves and take longer to cook. You will need to add them to the skillet earlier.

Annato seeds give this dish its bright color.

Ingredients :

120 g. of dry sotanghon (vermicelli) noodles
3/4 kilo of uncooked chicken (with bones)
1 bunch (about 100 g.) of onion leaves (sibuyas na mura) or leeks
1 carrot
1 small bunch of wansuy (cilantro)
3 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 whole garlic
2 onions, diced
1 whole onion
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small package of dried wood ears mushrooms (about 25 g.)
1/8 c. of annato (atsuwete) seeds
2-5 c. of chicken stock
3 tbsp. of cooking oil
salt and pepper

Cooking procedure :

Place chicken in a casserole. Cover with water. Add whole garlic, whole onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 tsp. of salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove scum as it rises. Lower heat. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool. Add half of the annato seeds to the hot stock and let them soak for 15 minutes. Strain stock.

Soak wood ears in warm water for 20 minutes, until they have expanded. Chop coarsely. Cut carrot and onion leaves into matchsticks. If using leeks, use the white and light green parts only. Pick leaves and soft stalks from wansuy and discard hard stalks. Remove chicken meat from bones and chop coarsely.

Heat a wide heavy skillet. Add cooking oil. When oil starts to smoke, add remaining annato seeds. Fry until oil turns bright red. Remove annato seeds with a slotted spoon. Fry garlic until golden brown. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add carrots (and leeks, if using) and stir for 15 seconds. Pour in 1 c. of stock and bring to a soft boil. Add sotanghon, pressing them into the liquid. Lower heat, cover skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. When dry, add another cup of broth. Stir chicken meat, wansuy and wood ears into the noodles. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Test noodles for doneness. Add more stock and simmer longer, if necessary. When sotanghon is tender and all the stock absorbed, add onion leaves and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a few minutes until onion leaves just start to wilt.

Serve hot.

In the mood for more food?

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8. Puto bibingka (rice cakes)
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10. Lasang Pinoy 8: mocha latte and choco latte

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