Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles

Ingredients

• •Rice noodles
• •Chicken
• •Chicken stock
• •Egg
• •Ham
• •Bean sprouts
• •Scallions
• •Chili oil
• •Chicken fat

Steps

1. 1Simmer a whole chicken with aromatics for several hours to make a clear, deeply flavorful stock, then skim a generous layer of fat off the top and reserve it separately.
2. 2Shred the cooked chicken meat and thinly slice cured ham into small pieces.
3. 3Bring the stock to a rolling boil and ladle it into a large deep bowl, spooning a layer of the reserved chicken fat on top so the surface seals in heat without appearing to steam.
4. 4Working quickly at the table, crack a raw egg into the hot broth and let it begin to poach in the residual heat.
5. 5Add the thin slices of ham, shredded chicken, and other raw ingredients such as bean sprouts, letting the broth's heat cook them through in seconds.
6. 6Finally, add freshly boiled rice noodles to the bowl along with chopped scallions.
7. 7Stir everything together gently so the egg finishes cooking and the noodles absorb the rich broth.
8. 8Season with a spoonful of chili oil to taste and eat immediately while the broth is still steaming hot.