Yunnan Crossing the Bridge Noodle Soup
A show-stopping bowl of scalding, golden chicken broth served with raw pork, tender noodles, quail eggs and chives. The hot broth cooks the thin pork slices right at the table.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 min
- Makes
- 4 large bowls (about 2 cups / 475 ml broth each)
Steps
Before you start
- Freeze the pork for 20 to 30 minutes so it is firm and easy to slice paper-thin (about 1/16 inch / 2 mm).
- Warm 4 large soup bowls (at least 6-cup / 1.5 L capacity) with hot tap water just before serving. Hot bowls keep the broth scalding so the pork cooks properly.
- Read the whole method first. The broth must be at a rolling boil when it goes into the bowls, so have everything else assembled before you ladle.
- Use a thin dried rice noodle (rice vermicelli or Yunnan mixian). Check the package, since cooking times vary.
Soak and marinate
- Place the dried shiitake in a heatproof bowl, cover with 1 cup (240 ml) hot water, and weigh them down with a small plate.
- Let soak 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the partially frozen pork against the grain into paper-thin slices and toss in a bowl with the light soy sauce and cornstarch until each slice is lightly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate.
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Ready when: Mushroom caps are soft and pliable all the way through, with no hard center
Tip: Keep the pork in the fridge until serving so it stays cold and firm.
Simmer the broth
- Lift the mushrooms out of their soaking water, squeezing gently, and trim off the tough stems.
- Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer to remove grit.
- In the 4-quart pot combine the chicken broth, strained soaking liquid, chicken thighs, ginger, scallion pieces, Shaoxing wine and mushrooms.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low so the surface barely bubbles.
- Partially cover and simmer 40 minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken registers at least 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part near the bone, and the broth is golden with a faint sheen of fat
Tip: Don't let it boil hard or the broth turns cloudy.
Finish the broth
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool 5 minutes.
- Fish out the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
- Strain the broth through the fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, discarding the ginger and scallions, but leave the thin layer of golden fat on top because it holds in the heat.
- Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred it, discarding the bones (leave the skin on or remove it, as you prefer).
- Season the broth with salt and white pepper, then keep it over low heat, covered.
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Ready when: Broth tastes well seasoned, slightly salty on its own, since the noodles will dilute it
Tip: Season boldly. Unsalted noodles and pork will mellow the broth in the bowl.
Soft-boil quail eggs
- Fill the medium pot about three-quarters full with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Lower in the quail eggs with a slotted spoon and boil exactly 2 minutes 30 seconds.
- Move them immediately to the ice water and chill 3 minutes.
- Gently crack and peel under cool running water.
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Ready when: Whites are fully set and yolks are jammy, not liquid
Tip: Tap quail egg shells all over and roll them on the counter, then peel from the wider end where the membrane is looser. Keep the boiling water for the noodles.
Cook the noodles
- Return the egg water to a boil.
- Add the rice noodles and cook according to package directions, usually 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Drain in a colander, rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking, and divide among the 4 warmed bowls.
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Ready when: Noodles are tender but still slightly springy, not mushy
Tip: Undercook them slightly since the scalding broth keeps softening them in the bowl.
Blanch the bok choy
- Add the bok choy leaves to the same boiling water and cook 30 seconds, until bright green and just wilted.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain well, and arrange over the noodles.
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Ready when: Leaves are bright green and the stems are just crisp-tender
Assemble the bowls
- Top the noodles and bok choy in each bowl with the shredded chicken, sliced mushrooms and 3 peeled quail eggs.
- Put the chives on a small plate and set the cold marinated pork on a separate plate so everyone can see it.
- Turn the broth to high heat and bring it to a hard, rolling boil.
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Ready when: Broth is at a full rolling boil with steam rising
Tip: The broth must be boiling, or the pork will not cook through.
Pour and cook pork
- Ladle about 2 cups (475 ml) of boiling broth into each bowl, then drizzle with the sesame oil.
- Slide the pork slices into the broth one by one in a single layer, pushing them under the surface with chopsticks.
- Let stand 1 to 2 minutes, then scatter on the chives.
- Add chili oil if you like and serve immediately.
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Ready when: Pork slices turn fully opaque and no pink remains; check any thicker slice reaches 145°F (63°C)
Tip: Add the pork slices separately instead of in a clump, so they cook evenly. If any slice is still pink after 2 minutes, stir it and let it stand 30 seconds more.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the broth at a hard boil until the moment you ladle it, and use warmed bowls, so the pork cooks fully.
- Slice the pork against the grain while it is still partly frozen for even, paper-thin pieces that cook in under 2 minutes.
- Leave a thin layer of chicken fat on the broth. It insulates the soup and keeps it hot longer, as in the traditional version.
- Rinse the cooked rice noodles so they don't clump, and add them to the bowls before the broth.
Make ahead
"The broth can be made, strained and seasoned up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Chicken, mushrooms and the sliced pork can be prepped a day ahead and kept refrigerated in separate containers. Cook the noodles, eggs and bok choy just before serving."
Storage & reheating
Serve right away. Store leftover broth, chicken and mushrooms in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze the broth up to 3 months. Keep noodles and eggs separate in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat broth to a full boil before pouring over fresh noodles. Do not reheat pork that has already been in the soup beyond rewarming to piping hot; discard any unrefrigerated leftovers after 2 hours.
Substitutions
- boneless pork loin → thinly sliced chicken breast, beef sirloin or white fish fillet. Slice paper-thin; chicken breast must reach 165°F (74°C), so give it 2 to 3 minutes in the broth and check.
- quail eggs → 3 large eggs, soft-boiled 6 minutes and halved. Use 3/4 egg per bowl; peel under cool water.
- Shaoxing wine → dry sherry. Use the same amount; omit for an alcohol-free version.
- garlic chives or regular chives → scallion greens, thinly sliced. Milder flavor, still bright and fresh.