Khao Piak Sen

Ingredients

Broth

• 1chicken, about 1.5 kg, jointed
• 2.5 litreswater
• 1large thumb ginger, sliced and bruised
• 1onion, halved
• 4garlic cloves
• 2coriander roots
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tbspfish sauce

Noodles

• 250 grice flour
• 150 gtapioca flour
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 350 mlhot water, approximately
• extra tapioca flour, for dusting

To finish

• 3spring onions, sliced
• a handful of coriander
• fried garlic in its oil
• ground white pepper

At the table

• lime wedges
• chilli paste or fresh chilli
• fish sauce
• bean sprouts

Directions

1. Put the jointed chicken in a large pot with the cold water. Bring it slowly up to the boil. Skim off the grey foam carefully as it rises. Skimming properly is what keeps the broth clean-tasting.
2. Add the ginger, onion, garlic, coriander roots and salt. Use a generous amount of ginger, since it defines the broth. Simmer it uncovered for an hour and a half. Do not let it boil, which makes the broth cloudy and greasy.
3. Lift the chicken out after forty-five minutes so it does not overcook. Pull the meat off the bones and shred it. Return the bones to the pot for the rest of the simmering. Strain the broth and skim the fat off the surface. Season it with fish sauce and taste it. Now the noodle dough, which is made with hot water.
4. Mix the rice flour, tapioca flour and salt in a bowl. Bring the measured water to the boil. Pour most of it into the flour while stirring with a spoon. Hot water is what gelatinises the starch and makes the dough workable.
5. Stir until it comes together into a rough mass. Now kneading, which must be done while it is hot. Let it cool just enough to handle, then knead it in the bowl. Knead it for five minutes until it is smooth and elastic. It should feel like soft modelling clay. Add a spoonful of hot water if it is cracking at the edges. Add a little tapioca flour if it is sticking to your hands.
6. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for ten minutes. Dust the surface generously with tapioca flour. Roll the dough out to about half a centimetre thick. Keep it thicker than you would an Italian pasta. Dust the surface again and cut it into strips about a centimetre wide.
7. Toss the cut strips in more tapioca flour so they do not stick. Do not rinse or shake off that flour. Bring the strained broth to a gentle simmer. Drop the noodles in a handful at a time.
8. Stir gently after each handful so they do not clump. Cook them for five to seven minutes. They will float when they are close to done. Add hot water if it becomes too thick to be a soup. Taste the broth again, since the noodles absorb salt.
9. Add more fish sauce and white pepper as needed. Now serving, which is done immediately. Ladle the noodles and broth into deep bowls. Add the shredded chicken to each bowl.
10. Scatter spring onion and coriander over the top. Spoon fried garlic and its oil over each bowl. Grind white pepper over generously. Serve lime, chilli and fish sauce at the table. Eat it immediately, since the noodles keep absorbing broth.

Technique

• Use hot water for the dough, since cold water will not gelatinise the starch.
• Do not rinse the dusting flour off the noodles; it is what thickens the broth.
• Never let the broth boil, which turns it cloudy and greasy.

Substitutions

• Pork or beef broth in place of chicken.
• Shop-bought fresh khao piak noodles, sold frozen in Lao shops.

Variations

• With pork and pork blood, which some stalls serve.
• With a soft-boiled egg added to the bowl.
• Made thicker, closer to a porridge, which is a common home style.

History

Hand-cut rice and tapioca noodles in chicken broth, thickened by the starch that sheds off the fresh noodles as they cook.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khao Piak Sen?

Khao Piak Sen is a soup & stew from Laos: chewy tapioca-rice noodles in gingery chicken broth. Hand-cut rice and tapioca noodles in chicken broth, thickened by the starch that sheds off the fresh noodles as they cook.

How long does Khao Piak Sen take to make?

Khao Piak Sen takes 40 min of preparation and 1 hour 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khao Piak Sen?

Yes, within limits. Pork or beef broth in place of chicken. Shop-bought fresh khao piak noodles, sold frozen in Lao shops.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khao Piak Sen?

Add the ginger, onion, garlic, coriander roots and salt. Use a generous amount of ginger, since it defines the broth. Simmer it uncovered for an hour and a half. Do not let it boil, which makes the broth cloudy and greasy.