Chef Annie Nguyen serves up Vietnamese chicken noodle soup for CBC K-W's Sounds of the Season

Annie Nguyen says she started cooking when she was five years old and by the age of 17, she was already working in professional kitchens.

That experience gives the chef/owner of Nguyen's Vietnamese Family Restaurant in Guelph, Ont., a considerable culinary background, which she uses to draw from her family's rich food history. The homestyle dish that is dearest to her is mì Quảng gà (Q1B on the restaurant menu). It's essentially "chicken noodle soup."

"The soup has a long story," Nguyen said. "It started with my grandmother, my mom and my auntie back home. And now, I am continuing the tradition."

While Nguyen makes her own rice noodles, the dish uses the relatively simple, inexpensive ingredients: pork bones for broth, chicken, sometimes mint, green onion, cilantro and peanuts on the side.

It can be made using only vegetables, too, if dietary or budgetary needs require.

Her mother's hometown in central Vietnam, Quang Nam Da Nang, is home base for this family recipe and, like many family recipes, it is unique.

"It's rare and almost impossible to get this soup anywhere else," she said of the version she makes, which is traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch.

She added her aunt's restaurant in Vietnam is still making the dish — and is open from 5 a.m. until midnight daily.

At Nguyen's restaurant in Guelph, you will note the lengths she's gone to spread the word about her family's cooking. She appears on social media platforms, including TikTok, and has her own YouTube cooking channel. She also teaches Vietnamese cooking at a local grocery store and has a line of sauces available at retail locations in and around Guelph.

For her Sounds of the Season live cooking demonstration on Friday, Nguyen told the audience that the noodles are gluten-free and can have different toppings such as pork, shrimp, beef, fish, or vegetables.

"My grandmother used to make the noodles with fish or any kind of meat she could get from the market," Nguyen said.

"And my mom used to take off school to help her make these rice noodles and rice paper to sell during the Tết holiday, which is almost like Christmas here. Their hard work in the kitchen made up most of their income for the year."

This family soup can be made relatively quickly in less than an hour, or as a low-and-slow version that sees the broth simmer for up to six hours.

Whatever the duration, mì Quảng gà is prepared for both daily consumption or special occasions but always for sharing with others, Nguyen said.

"We would make extra and save it to eat during holidays and to give as gifts to family and friends."

Mì Quảng gà recipe

From Annie Ngyuen of Nguyen's Vietnamese Family Restaurant, Guelph

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. pork bones

2 lbs. chicken thighs (or pork belly, beef or fish)

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 garlic bulb (to taste), chopped

3 shallots (or small while onions), chopped

1 teaspoon annatto

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Cooked rice noodles

1 bunch of spring green onion, rough chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, cleaned and picked

Toasted peanuts for garnish

Method

For the broth

Trim and clean the pork bones and add to a pot of 3 litres of boiling water. Turn the heat to low and let them simmer for 2-3 hours. Skim the foam regularly. When the bones fall out, remove from pot. There should be about 2 litres of broth. If not, add some water. Season with salt, sugar and MSG.

For the chicken marinade

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Marinade the chicken pieces in the turmeric, fish sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon black pepper and chopped garlic, chopped shallots or onions for about 1 hour.

In a pan, toast the annatto seeds in 3 teaspoons of oil over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove seeds and reserve the oil. Add the marinaded chicken to the oil and stir fry at high heat for 7-10 minutes until fully cooked. Reserve the juice from the stir fry pan to add to the broth later for more flavour.

To serve

Place rice noodles in a bowl, add some chicken pieces and pour in a ladle of broth. Top with green onion, cilantro and crushed roasted peanuts. Serve with some rice crackers. As options, you can also add some fresh bean sprouts, sliced green lettuce or cabbage, mint leaves and even banana flowers (from specialty food stores) for a treat.

Enjoy!