Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Noodle Soup

Steps

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1. 1
   Wash the ginger thoroughly and slice it thinly; no need to peel.
   ▶ ≈0:30
2. 2
   Add the sesame oil and ginger slices to a pan and cook over low heat until the ginger curls, dries out, and turns lightly brown at the edges, releasing a nutty aroma. Keep the temperature below about 350°F/177°C so the oil doesn't burn.
   ▶ ≈0:41
3. 3
   Add the bite-sized chicken thigh pieces and the squeezed, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (reserve the soaking liquid). Stir-fry until the chicken changes color.
   ▶ ≈1:43
4. 4
   Pour in the rice wine, mushroom soaking water, and chicken stock. Turn the heat to high and boil for about 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol, leaving a sweet fermented flavor in the broth.
   ▶ ≈2:39
5. 5
   Add the halved, pitted red jujube dates, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
   ▶ ≈3:14
6. 6
   While the soup simmers, tear the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
   ▶ ≈3:27
7. 7
   Once the chicken soup has finished simmering, add the cabbage and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the goji berries and season with salt to taste.
   ▶ ≈3:38
8. 8
   In a separate pot, cook the mianxian or angel hair vermicelli noodles for about 2-3 minutes to keep the soup clear.
   ▶ ≈3:54
9. 9
   Place the cooked noodles in a bowl and ladle the sesame oil ginger chicken soup over the top to serve.
   ▶ ≈4:23