My Stolen Family Recipe

 

I didn't intend to steal my family's favorite new recipe. But I was editing an essay by Perri Klass about how the Thai noodle soup khao soi became a family recipe for her. The piece made the dish sound so delicious, I innocently asked her for the recipe, which she had adapted slightly from the 1976 cookbook Noodles Galore by Merry White . (I wasn't the only one whose mouth was watering reading the piece; several readers asked for the recipe, too.) I tinkered with Perri's version—I made it soupier by doing one-and-a-half times most of the ingredients for the broth—and have now cooked it at least once a month ever since because my kids absolutely adore it. So apologies to Perri, but my kids now squeeze limes and slurp up the curried noodles thinking this is their family dish. If you want a taste of the illicit goods, here's my version of the recipe:

 

Khao Soi
active: 50 min; total: 2 hr 10 min
6 Servings

1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
3 dried red chiles
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
9 cups water
One 3-pound chicken
1 can (13 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
1 pound thin dried Chinese egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 cups fried Chinese noodles
Lime wedges, for serving

1. In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic, ginger and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the serrano chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the dried chiles, rice flour, turmeric and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil.

2. Add the chicken to the pot, breast down, and cover. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken breast up, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, remove all of the meat from the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Reserve the bones and discard the skin.

3. Return the chicken bones to the pot. Boil the broth over moderately high heat, skimming occasionally, until reduced by one third, about 30 minutes.

4. Strain the broth into a clean pot. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and season with salt; keep the soup hot.

5. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the noodles; transfer them to 6 bowls and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with the scalllions and fried noodles and serve with lime wedges.

make ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before proceeding.