Mi Quang Ga

Step 1

Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and slice it horizontally into thin, even 1/4-inch-thick pieces, moving your knife parallel to the board — this helps it cook evenly and quickly.

Step 2

Slice the fresh turmeric root crosswise into thin rounds, about the thickness of a coin, discarding the papery skin.

Step 3

Stack the cilantro and mint leaves and tear them roughly by hand into bite-sized pieces, placing them on a small plate to set aside.

Step 4

Cut the lime in half and set one half on the counter; cut the other half into two wedges for serving.

Step 5

Fill a large pot with water, set it over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil — you will see large, continuous bubbles breaking the surface, about 8 minutes.

Step 6

Add the rice noodles to the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon to separate them; cook until they bend easily when you lift one with a fork but still have a slight firmness, about 4 minutes.

Step 7

Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse them under cool running water for 5 seconds, and set aside.

Step 8

Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and set it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 9

Add the sliced shallots to the hot oil and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until they turn light golden brown at the edges, about 3 minutes — you'll smell them becoming fragrant.

Step 10

Push the shallots to the sides of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the center; stir for 20 seconds until the garlic is very fragrant but not dark brown.

Step 11

Add the turmeric slices or ground turmeric to the skillet and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the oil turns a deep golden-yellow color — this releases the turmeric's flavor.

Step 12

Lay the chicken pieces flat in the skillet in a single layer without stirring; cook until the bottom is no longer pink, about 2 minutes, then flip each piece.

Step 13

Cook the chicken on the second side until it looks opaque (no pink) all the way through when you cut the thickest piece in half, about 2 more minutes.

Step 14

Pour the broth into the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil — you will see large bubbles rapidly breaking the surface, about 4 minutes.

Step 15

Reduce the heat to low, stir in 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, and simmer gently for 5 minutes so the flavors blend — the broth should show gentle bubbles at the edges.

Step 16

Divide the cooked noodles equally between two bowls, using tongs to portion them into a nest in the center of each bowl.

Step 17

Using a slotted spoon, lift the chicken pieces and turmeric slices from the skillet and distribute them equally over the noodles in both bowls.

Step 18

Carefully pour the hot broth into each bowl, filling it until the noodles are just covered — leave about 1 inch of space at the rim.

Step 19

Sprinkle the crushed peanuts in an even layer over the broth in each bowl.

Step 20

Scatter the torn cilantro and mint leaves over the top of each bowl.

Step 21

Squeeze the lime juice over both bowls and place a lime wedge on the rim of each bowl for squeezing more juice at the table if desired.