Jean Wallace's Sotanghon

Jean Wallace's Sotanghon

3 1/2 pounds cleaned chicken, cut in 8 pieces
Cracked veal knuckle
About 7 1/2 cups water
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound green shrimp, deveined (retain shells)
1 ounce dried oriental mushrooms (or Chinese bean threads)
1/4 pound rice noodles
3 1/2 tablespoons toyo (good Chinese or Japanese soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon patis malabon (clear anchovy sauce)
Minced American (or Chinese) parsley

Place chicken and knuckle bone in large stock pot. Cover with water (about 6 cups), add onion, garlic powder and salt. Simmer uncovered about 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender and stock is reduced about one-third. Skim off scum and fat during cooking.

Prepare remaining ingredients as follows: Cut shrimp in bite-size pieces. Cover shells with water (about 1 1/2 cups) in saucepan, simmer 10 minutes, strain off liquid, add to stock pot. Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover 15 minutes; drain, shred. Soak noodles in warm water 20 minutes, drain, cut in 2-inch lengths with scissors.

Add shrimp, mushrooms, noodles, toyo and patis malabon to stock. Cover, simmer about 20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate overnight. To serve, reheat, add more liquid as needed, and garnish with minced American or Chinese parsley). Serve with side dishes cooked rice. Serves 4-6.

Thoughts: Filipino food items are available in Oriental food shops. Rice noodles, known as mai fen in Chinese, are sometimes called rice sticks. Fun-Si (Chinese bean threads) are called by many names: silver, cellophane or glass noodles. Patis malabon, imported from the Philippines, is very salty and should be used sparingly.