Vigan Miki Soup, plus Red Soup

Vigan Miki Soup, plus Red Soup. The Vigan Miki similar to other pasta and noodles, are best serve immediately. Otherwise the broth will be absorbed by the pasta or noodles, if serve at a later time. This is very true if the pasta or noodles used are dried type. The rehydration process does not stop when cooking is finished, it will continue absorbing the broth until all of the liquid is absorbed. Not unless the pasta or noodles used are fresh then, the absorption would be very minimal.

The best remedy is to just cook only the amount of Vigan Miki Soup that enough for the meal serving. In Vigan, the Vigan Miki Soup is usually served during a particular celebration and after finishing a prayer occasion “padasal”. The Vigan Miki Soup would have been cooked in advanced, and most of the time the Vigan Miki Soup are being serve as mushy noodles instead of a runny noodle soup. With my recent trip to Vigan during a prayer occasion that I attended, I was amazed how the cook has overcome the absorption issue. I have noticed that there is an extra pot of red soup beside the Vigan Miki Soup. When the Vigan Miki Soup was ready to be served the extra red soup was simply added to the then Vigan Miki Soup that have already absorbed most of the broth.

Today I would like to share that turnaround method that I have seen, should you are planning to cook your Vigan Miki Soup or any other similar pasta or noodles soup dish in advance for an occasion like on your noche buena dinner. Cooking is still the same except for the extra ingredients to compensate for the required additional red soup.

With this recipe I have used the extra flat dried miki noodles instead the on the more readily available thin miki noodles. Traditionally the Vigan Miki noodles are flat and are handmade, and air dried.

Here is the recipe of my Vigan Miki Soup, plus Red Soup.

Ingredients:

1 kilo flat dried Vigan Miki Noodle

250 grams sotanghon noodle, vermicelli noodle, soaked with water

1/2 chicken, cut to pieces

1/2 pork, cut to pieces

1/2 head garlic, crushed, peeled, chopped

3 medium size onion, peeled, chopped

1 large bundle spring onion, trimmed, chopped

2/3 cup fish sauce, patis

1 cup achuete (red coloring extract)

1 tbsp. ground pepper

salt

cooking oil

For pre boiling the chicken and pork:

1 head garlic, cut crosswise in half.

1 tbsp. peppercorns

Cooking Procedure:

In large sauce pan place the chicken, pork, garlic and peppercorns. Add in about 3 to 4 liters of water bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minute to 1 hour. Now remove the chicken and pork from the sauce pan and let cool down. Now shred the chicken and pork, keep aside discard the bones. Using a sieve, filter out all the scum from the broth, keep aside in a separate container.

Using the same large sauce pan,  sauté garlic, onion, add in the shredded pork and chicken and stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add fish sauce and ground pepper, stir cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the achuete and continue to stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, remove all scums that rise. Correct saltiness if required. Transfer half of the red broth on a separate pan, using a sieve to filter out the solid ingredients, keep warm until ready to use.

Now add in the dried Vigan miki noodles on the remaining broth and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until soft and tender. Add more water as necessary. Add in the sotanghon noodles and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately. Add more of the Red Soup if serve at a later time or if the broth is absorbed by the noodles.