Lao chicken soup with homemade rice noodles (Khao piak sen)

1. Bring the chicken to the boil with the water, the halved, charred ginger, bruised lemongrass and whole shallots, skim, then simmer gently for 1 hour. Lift out the chicken, pull the meat off the bones and shred; strain the broth and season with fish sauce, salt and sugar.

2. For the noodles, put the rice flour, starch and salt in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand into a smooth, soft dough.

3. Roll the dough out 3 mm thick on a floured surface and cut into 5 mm wide noodles; toss with flour so they don't stick.

4. Chop the garlic and fry gently in the oil until golden – this garlic oil gives the soup its aroma.

5. Drop the noodles straight into the hot broth and cook for 4-5 minutes – the starch they release thickens the broth and makes it silky; return the chicken.

6. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with garlic oil, sprinkle with spring onions and coriander and serve with bean sprouts, lime and chilli.

Tip: Laos's favourite comfort soup; its name means "wet rice strands". The noodles are cooked in the broth, not separately – this makes it characteristically thick and velvety.