Superior Double-Boiled Chicken Broth Yang Chun Mian (The Restaurant Style)

Every humble dish has a premium version, and this is Yang Chun Mian's. Where the everyday version relies on a simple stock and a teaspoon of lard, this restaurant-style interpretation builds its foundation on a superior double-boiled broth so clean, so clear, and so deeply concentrated with chicken and umami that it practically glows amber in the bowl. It takes more time than any other recipe in this collection, but the result is something genuinely extraordinary. A bowl of noodles so refined and so elegantly simple that it belongs in a fine dining restaurant, made entirely in your own kitchen. Here at Yunion, this is the recipe we bring out when we want to show someone exactly what a truly great bowl of noodles can be.

Serves: 2 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 3 hours (largely unattended)

Ingredients

For the superior double-boiled broth:

• 1 whole soup chicken, approximately 1.5kg

• 80g Jinhua ham or good quality cured ham, roughly chopped

• 4 slices fresh ginger

• 2 spring onions, tied in a knot

• 2 litres cold water

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• Pinch of salt to taste

  
  

For the noodles:

• 1 packet Yunion Yang Chun Noodles

  
  

For the bowl base:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce per bowl

• Pinch of white pepper per bowl

  
  

To garnish:

• 3 spring onions, finely sliced into delicate rings

• Pinch of white pepper

Method

• Rinse the whole chicken thoroughly under cold running water. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Blanch for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the chicken and the pot thoroughly. This step removes impurities and is what allows the final broth to be crystal clear rather than cloudy.

• Return the cleaned chicken to the pot with 2 litres of fresh cold water. Add Jinhua ham, ginger slices, and knotted spring onions. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

• Once boiling, reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer. The surface of the broth should barely tremble. Cook uncovered for 2.5 to 3 hours, skimming the surface carefully every 30 minutes to remove any fat or impurities that rise to the top. This careful skimming is what produces a broth that is translucent like amber oil rather than murky and cloudy.

• Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with a clean muslin cloth or paper towel for maximum clarity. Season very lightly with light soy sauce and a pinch of salt. The broth should be intensely flavoured, naturally sweet from the chicken, and require very little seasoning. Taste before adding anything.

• Prepare each serving bowl with a small amount of light soy sauce and a pinch of white pepper.

• Cook Yunion Yang Chun Noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until just cooked through with a firm, delicate bite. Drain thoroughly and divide between the prepared bowls.

• Ladle the piping hot superior broth generously over the noodles.

• Garnish with a precise sprinkle of finely sliced spring onion rings and a whisper of white pepper. Nothing more.

• Serve immediately.

Tips

• The double blanching step at the beginning is absolutely non-negotiable for a clear, restaurant quality broth. Skipping it produces a murky, grey stock that lacks the elegance this dish demands.

• Jinhua ham is a Chinese cured ham with an intensely savoury, slightly funky depth that adds remarkable complexity to the broth. It's available at select Asian grocery stores across Perth. A good quality prosciutto or other cured ham makes a reasonable substitute if you can't find it.

• Resist the temptation to season this broth heavily. The entire point of spending three hours making a superior stock is to let the natural sweetness and depth of the chicken shine through. A light hand with the seasoning is what separates this dish from an ordinary chicken noodle soup.

• The restraint in the garnish is intentional and important. This is a dish that celebrates the noodle and the broth above all else. A few precise rings of spring onion and nothing more is the correct finish.

Find Yunion Noodles Near You

Our full range of fresh noodles is available at select supermarkets and Asian grocery stores across Perth. Find your nearest stockist and make your next family gathering one to remember.