Glass noodle chicken soup with wood ear mushrooms (Miến gà)

1. Rub the chicken with salt, rinse and put it in 3 litres of cold water with the sliced ginger and shallots, charred in a dry frying pan.

2. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 40 minutes; lift out the chicken, strain the broth and season with fish sauce.

3. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes, then cut into thin strips; soak the glass noodles in warm water for 10 minutes and drain.

4. Pull the chicken meat off the bones and shred into strips; put the mushrooms into the hot broth for 2 minutes.

5. Put glass noodles in the bowls, ladle over hot broth (leave for 1 minute so the noodles warm through), then add the chicken and mushrooms.

6. Sprinkle with spring onion, coriander, crispy shallots and white pepper and serve with lime and chilli.

Tip: A light, clear-broth noodle soup from the north – gluten-free, as glass noodles are made from mung bean starch. Don't cook the noodles in the broth, or they soon go soggy.