Chicken Udon Soup [Japanese Thai Fusion]

Ingredients:
2 Chicken scallopini breasts
8 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced. (~120 grams)
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tsps brown sugar
1 tbsp minced ginger
5.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
120 grams shiitake mushrooms (stemless, sliced into quarters)
2 stalks lemon grass
300 grams udon noodles
8 leaves basil
1 serrano (thai/birds eye chilli)
1 lime
2 stalks green onion
1 handful baby spinach (optional)
pinch of cilantro
salt and pepper
sliced carrots to garnish

Wilde Oscar says: serrano peppers and shiitake mushrooms are key here- try not to substitute if you can avoid.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pour about 1 tbsp of the oil into a skillet and fry the chicken breasts until browned on both sides- but do not cook through entirely. Remove and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the skillet, and throw on the sliced shallots. Cook for a minute or two until the shallots are translucent. Meanwhile, remove the outer layer of the lemon grass, split stalks along center, and crush with the back of a cooking knife. Add the lemon grass, minced ginger, and brown sugar to the shallots. Cook for another minute.

Add the shallot mix to warmed chicken broth in a large pot. Allow to cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduces heat to a simmer, and add quartered shiitake mushrooms. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Use a fork to remove the lemongrass stalks.

In the meantime, add the udon noodles to a pot of salted water to cook for about 3 mins. Drain, and transfer to the pot.

Shred the chicken using your fingers, and add in at the same time as the noodles. Cook until the inside of the chicken is properly cooked through, and the noodles are infused. If you're going to add baby spinach, do it here.

Wilde Oscar says: Don't chop the chicken using a knife! Part of the brilliance of this soup is the strands of shredded chicken.

Add the shredded basil and sliced thai pepper. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze the juice from the lime into the pot. Add 1 tbsp of soy sauce (or more if desired), and allow flavours to infuse.

Wilde Oscar says: Careful with the serano peppers; they're small but wicked little buggers.

Dish noodles into each bowl and add the soup on top. Garnish with the slice green onion, carrot slivers and cilantro, if desired. Serve with a slice of lime on the side.