Hanoi Special Rice Noodle Soup

Name: Hanoi Special Rice Noodle Soup
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 chicken, 3 1/2 pounds, excess fat and tail removed, cut into serving pieces; 1 tablespoon salt; 4 quarts plus 1 1/2 cups water; 1 large yellow onion, sliced; 2 pounds meaty pork neck or spine bones, cut into 2-inch pieces; 3 dried squid (about 2 ounces total), briefly rinsed; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 3/4 cup dried shrimp; Cooked chicken, shrimp, and pork from the broth, at room temperature; 2 or 3 thin Egg Sheets (page 320), quartered and cut into fine strips, at room temperature; 1/3 pound Classic Silky Sausage (page 160), cut into fine matchsticks, at room temperature; 1/4 cup chopped fresh Vietnamese coriander or cilantro leaves; Black pepper; Spoonful of fine shrimp sauce; 1/4 cup chopped Sweet and Salty Preserved Radish (page 196), optional; 2 or 3 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (optional); 1 pound small dried round rice noodles, cooked in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, drained, and flushed with cold water

December 14, 2011

Bún thang is one of the most complex expressions of Vietnamese culinary prowess. Requiring many ingredients and much time, this popular Hanoi soup is traditionally reserved for special events and holidays such as Tet. The golden broth contains chicken, pork, and dried squid or shrimp. The toppings may include those items, too, in addition to egg shreds, gio lua (sausage), and salted duck egg yolk. At the table, shrimp sauce gives the broth extra depth, and if it is affordable, male belostomatid beetle extract (ca cuong) is added from the tip of a toothpick, imparting a mesmerizing fragrance. Aficionados of the soup can be particular. In a 1996 essay, food writer Bang Son asserts that its refinement is not for merely appeasing hunger, insisting that it be served in fine china on a joyous occasion to cherished loved ones. While my mom isn’t that fanatical, she is a stickler for certain traditional notions, such as serving bún thang piping hot. In my kitchen, I omit the beetle juice because the chemical version sold in the United States overwhelms the delicate flavors of the soup. Also, though bún thang is often savored in smallish bowls as part of a multicourse meal, I prefer to serve it in big ones.

Recipe notes