Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks, for garnish (optional)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about ¾ lb.), butterflied (cut horizontally almost all the way through and then opened like a book)
• 3-½ oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (1-½ cups)
• 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise, and smashed with the side of a chef’s knife
• + 10 more ingredients
• • 1 medium lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges
  • 5-½ cups lower-salt chicken broth
  • 2-½ Tbs. canola oil
  • 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 medium scallions, trimmed and sliced, for garnish (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. soy sauce; more to taste
  • 1 Thai bird chile (or 1 small serrano pepper), sliced into thin rings
  • 8 large fresh torn basil leaves; plus sprigs for garnish
  • 3 medium shallots (about 4 oz.), peeled and thinly sliced into rings
  • 9 oz. fresh udon noodles

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper, and cook without disturbing until it’s browned and releases easily from the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the secon...

View full recipe at Fine Cooking