Quick Chicken Pho

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 2 Turk's free range chicken breast fillets, skinless (cut and opened out into an escalope)
• 250 g dried rice noodles
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 4 thin slices, peeled fresh ginger
• ¼ cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 100 g shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced if large
• 2 good handfuls spinach leaves
• 1 red chilli, very finely sliced
• lime wedges for squeezing
• Vietnamese mint and garden mint leaves to finish

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce and honey in a shallow ceramic or glass dish. Place in the chicken, turn over, cover and marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
3. Bring the chicken stock, ginger, cinnamon and star anise to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and spinach and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and star anise.
4. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Rest for 5 minutes before shredding or slicing.
5. Divide the noodles among 4 serving bowls. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls and divide the chicken among the bowls. Sprinkle over the chilli and herbs to serve. Pass lime wedges for squeezing.