Khao Poon (ເຂົ້າປຸ້ນ) — Lao Coconut Curry Rice Vermicelli Soup

• 300 gdried rice vermicelli noodles
• 6bone-in chicken thighs (about 750 g total)
• 1.5 lwater
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 8dried long red chiles (stems removed and seeds shaken out)
• 250 mlboiling water (for soaking chiles)
• 4shallots (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 6 clovegarlic
• 2 stalklemongrass (tender lower 12 cm only, thinly sliced)
• 1 inchfresh galangal (thinly sliced)
• 4 leafkaffir lime leaves (center ribs removed)
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1.5 tspshrimp paste
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 600 mlfull-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsppadaek (Lao fermented fish sauce, strained if chunky)
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 2 tsppalm sugar
• 2 tbsplime juice
• 120 gbanana blossom (very thinly sliced and held in cold water with lime juice)
• 180 ggreen cabbage (finely shredded)
• 180 gbean sprouts
• 120 glong beans (thinly sliced crosswise)
• 1 bunchmint (leaves picked)
• 1 bunchcilantro (roughly chopped)
• 3limes (cut into wedges)
• 3 tbspchile oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the chicken thighs, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Skim the surface carefully, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the broth tastes savory.

2. 2

   Lift the chicken onto a plate and strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the bones and skin, then shred the meat very finely with two forks or pound it lightly in a mortar for a traditional khao poon texture.

3. 3

   Put the dried chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover them with the boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain them well, reserving 60 ml of the soaking liquid in case the paste needs help blending.

4. 4

   Combine the soaked chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, and shrimp paste in a mortar or food processor. Pound or process to a coarse red paste, adding the reserved chile-soaking liquid 1 tbsp at a time only if needed to keep the blades moving.

5. 5

   Heat the oil in the cleaned soup pot over medium heat, then fry the curry paste for 6 minutes. Stir constantly until the paste darkens slightly, the oil separates at the edges, and the lemongrass aroma becomes rounded rather than raw.

6. 6

   Add the shredded chicken to the fried paste and stir for 3 minutes so the meat absorbs the aromatics. Pour in the reserved chicken broth and coconut milk, then add the padaek, fish sauce, and palm sugar.

7. 7

   Bring the soup to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the coconut milk does not scorch. Add the lime juice at the end, then keep the soup hot without boiling hard, because vigorous boiling can make the coconut broth look split.

8. 8

   Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, usually 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water, then rinse under warm water and drain thoroughly. Divide the noodles among 6 bowls and ladle the hot chicken coconut broth over the center.

9. 9

   Serve the bowls immediately with banana blossom, cabbage, bean sprouts, long beans, mint, cilantro, lime wedges, and chile oil on the table. Each diner should add herbs and vegetables generously, which is part of the Lao balance of hot broth, fresh crunch, fermented savor, and bright acidity.