Growing up, Kai See Hor Fun (鸡丝河粉）is one of the dishes I asked for often when visiting my father’s shop in the People’s Park Complex. There were many great hawker stalls at the old People’s Park and many choices to indulge in. I liked this dish in particular because of the tender rice noodles and thick soy sauce gravy. It is a dish full of flavors and aroma when served with crispy fried shallots and pickled green chilli. Adapted from Mrs Leong’s Singapore Cooking recipe; I have added more cornstarch to make the gravy thicker to my liking. Its delicious.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

Braised Chicken

• 1 whole chicken (~ 2.5 lbs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 piece thumb-size ginger, lightly bashed
• 6 clovers garlic, lightly bashed
• 4 stalks green onions, tied into a knot

Gravy

• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 8 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp msg
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp palm/brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cups water
• 12 fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 30 oz chicken stock/water
• 6 Tbsp corn starch mixed with 4 oz water for thickening

Noodles

• 2 lbs fresh thin rice noodles
• 1 lb Chinese Mustard green, cut into 2 inch pieces. Separate the leaves from the stalks.
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Crispy fried shallots for topping
• Pickled green chilli to serve

Directions

To prepare the chicken:

1. Clean and pat dry, rub with 1 tsp of salt inside and out. Stuff the chicken with the bashed ginger, garlic, and spring onions. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
2. Remove chicken from refrigerator the next day and let it come to room temperature.
3. Combine ingredients for gravy in a small bowl except the mushrooms, chicken stock, and corn starch thickening.
4. Heat wok with 4 Tbsp of canola oil over medium high heat.
5. Add the gravy mixture from step 3 and bring to a boil.
6. Add the chicken, bring the gravy to a boil again. Continue to cook over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Ladle gravy over the chicken constantly to coat the chicken with the gravy mixture. Rotate the chicken half way to cook on the other side. Chicken should look light brown after 15 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to medium. Cover wok and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over, cover, and simmer another 20 minutes. 40 minutes total.
8. Remove chicken and let it cool. Debone the chicken and cut into bit size pieces. Shredded the chicken breast. Set the meat aside. Save the bone for the gravy.

To prepare the gravy:

1. Transfer the gravy from braising the chicken to a medium sauce pan. Add the chicken bone and 30 oz chicken stock/water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove the chicken bones, add the mushrooms and return to a boil. Reduce the heat while keeping the gravy on a slow boil.
3. Prepare the cornstarch mixture for thickening in a small bowl, stir well to make sure the cornstarch is not sitting in the bottom of the bowl. Slowly add the thickening while stirring the gravy.
4. The gravy will thicken. Turn off the heat.

To assemble Kai See Hor Fun:

1. Soak and wash the Chinese Mustard green in cold water. Keep the stalks separate from the leaves.
2. In a large pot, bring 5 pints of water to a boil with the salt, sugar, and oil.
3. Add the stalk and cook for 1 minute, then add the leaves and cook for another 1/2 minute.
4. Remove the vegetables to a colandar under running cold water. Drain and set aside.
5. Separate and cook the noodles in two batches.
6. Bring the water in the pot to a boil again. Add one batch of the noodles and scald it for 1/2 minute. Remove and drain with a wire mesh and divide into three portions in serving dishes. Repeat with the other batch of noodles.
7. To serve, add shredded chicken, Chinese Mustard, mushroom over the noodles. Pour hot gravy generously over the noodles. Top with crispy fried shallots and a Tbsp of pickled green chilli.
8. Serve hot.