Khao Soi — Northern Thai Curry Noodles with Chicken Legs

Ingredients

• 2 lb Chicken Legs, bone-in if possible
• 3 tbsp khao soi or red curry paste
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 lb fresh egg noodles
• 1 cup neutral oil, for frying
• 3 shallots, sliced
• ½ cup pickled mustard greens, chopped
• 1 lime, in wedges
• Handful cilantro

Method

1. Skim the thick cream off the top of one coconut milk can and fry it in a pot over medium until the fat separates and it smells nutty, 4 minutes. Add the curry paste, curry powder, and turmeric and fry until the oil turns orange.
2. Add the Chicken Legs and turn to coat, then pour in the remaining coconut milk and stock. Simmer gently until the Chicken Legs is falling-tender and reads 175°F (79°C) for dark poultry, 25 minutes.
3. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste — it should be rich, faintly sweet, and salty enough to stand up to a bowl of plain noodles.
4. Fry a handful of the raw noodles in the hot oil until they puff and go crisp, about 30 seconds, and drain. Boil the rest until just tender.
5. Divide the boiled noodles into bowls, ladle the curry over, and pile on the crisp noodles, shallots, pickled greens, cilantro, and a lime wedge. Squeeze the lime in before the first bite, not after.