Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Noodle Soup
A warming, aromatic classic featuring tender chicken seared in fragrant sesame oil with crispy ginger, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and sweet red dates.
Sesame oil chicken is a beloved staple in Taiwanese home cooking, especially cherished for its restorative and warming properties. This soul-soothing dish relies on the deep, nutty flavor of toasted sesame oil and the pungent, golden crunch of fried ginger to create a remarkably aromatic broth. The addition of shiitake mushrooms and red dates adds earthy depth and natural sweetness, making it a perfect, nourishing meal for any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken pieces
- 50 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 50 g fresh ginger
- 4 tbsp sesame oil
- 6-8 pieces red dates
- 200 g dried noodles
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stalk green onions
Instructions
- 1Soak the shiitake mushrooms
Place the dried shiitake mushrooms into a bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak until they are soft and rehydrated, which will concentrate their flavor and prepare them for simmering.
Tip: Keep the mushroom soaking water, as it is packed with umami and will be used later in the chicken soup base. - 2Prepare the ginger
Carefully slice the ginger into thin, uniform pieces on a wooden cutting board. These thin slices will fry evenly and infuse the sesame oil with a fragrant, spicy aroma.
Tip: For easier slicing, ensure your knife is sharp; thin slices will crisp up beautifully in the hot oil. - 3Heat the sesame oil
Pour a generous amount of sesame oil into a preheated clay pot. Ensure the oil coats the bottom evenly before adding the aromatic ginger slices.
Tip: Watch the heat carefully; sesame oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils, so keep the heat moderate to prevent burning. - 4Fry the ginger
Add the prepared ginger slices to the hot sesame oil. Fry them gently until they turn golden brown and begin to curl at the edges, then remove them from the pot and set them aside.
Tip: Frying until golden and curled releases the full, warm essence of the ginger into the oil, which serves as the flavor foundation for the dish. - 5Sear the chicken
Add the raw chicken pieces into the clay pot with the residual ginger-infused oil. Sear the chicken until the surface of the meat is golden, which helps seal in the juices.
Tip: Avoid overcrowding the pot to ensure the chicken sears properly rather than steaming. - 6Combine ingredients
Return the fried ginger to the pot with the browned chicken. Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and pour in the mushroom soaking water. Add red dates, cover the pot, and let everything simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to develop the flavors.
Tip: Simmering slowly on low heat ensures the chicken becomes tender and fully absorbs the aromatic essence of the mushrooms and ginger. - 7Add red dates to the soup
Add the red dates into the clay pot with the chicken and shiitake mushrooms. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Tip: Simmering on low heat ensures the chicken remains tender and the broth becomes rich. - 8Transfer the chicken soup
Once the chicken soup is ready, carefully transfer it from the clay pot into a second pot, preparing it for the addition of the noodles.
Tip: Using a second pot makes it easier to cook the noodles directly in the flavorful broth. - 9Cook the noodles in soup
Add a bundle of dried noodles into the boiling chicken soup. Let them cook in the broth until they reach a tender consistency.
Tip: Cooking the noodles directly in the soup allows them to absorb the savory flavors of the broth. - 10Season the noodle soup
Add a spoonful of salt to the pot of boiling noodles and chicken soup. Stir gently to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Tip: Season to taste, adjusting the amount of salt based on your personal preference.
