One of the most versatile dishes around, this is a version of the freshly made, comforting, hot noodle bowls served in street stalls and restaurants around the world. Any noodles will work, from Chinese style egg-noodles, to rice noodles or 100 percent buckwheat noodles for gluten-avoiders. The dish itself cooks in only a few minutes – the ultimate in fast food.
Recipe courtesy of "Allergy-Free Cookbook" by Alice Sherwood, copyright 2007. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley Limited. All rights reserved.
| 1 3/4 pints (1 liter) well-flavored chicken stock | 8 baby corn, halved lengthways | |
| scant 1/2 oz (10 g) peeled fresh ginger, cut into fine (julienne) strips | 10 shiitake mushrooms, sliced | |
| 3 tbsp light soy sauce | 2 pak choi, roughly chopped | |
| 1 star anise | 4 spring onions, sliced diagonally | |
| 7 oz (200 g) noodles | 1 oz (30 g) bean sprouts | |
| 3 tbsp nut-free vegetable oil for stir-frying |
Simmer the stock, ginger strips, soy sauce, and star anise for 3 minutes.
Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions – until just tender. Divide the noodles between four bowls.
Heat a wok until nearly smoking and add the vegetable oil. Stir fry the baby corn to give it a bit of color and then add the mushrooms and fry for 1–2 minutes.
Carefully pour the stock into the wok. Add the pak choi, bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 minute, or until the pak choi is just tender.
Ladle the stock and vegetables over the noodles. Garnish with the spring onion slices and a sprinkling of bean sprouts and serve immediately.