Chicken Lagman

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all the ingredients. I'm using chicken breast, but other parts of the chicken work too — drumsticks, thighs, leg quarters. For the noodles I used 4 noodle nests.

2. Step 2:

   

   If needed, thaw the chicken breast on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Rinse it, pat it dry with paper towels, and trim off the membranes and excess fat. Cut it into pieces — I made mine fairly large and oblong.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the onion. Rinse it and the knife with cold water so the onion juices don't sting your eyes as much while you cut. Dice the onion small.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash the carrot well, peel it, and cut it into thin slices, matchsticks, or cubes — however you prefer.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the bell pepper too, cut it in half, and remove the core with the seeds. Cut it into small cubes.

6. Step 6:

   

   Wash some juicy, meaty tomatoes. Score a cross on the bottom of each, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit for 1–2 minutes. Drain the water and peel off the skins with a knife.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour an oil with a high smoke point into a skillet and heat it well. Add the chicken pieces and fry them over moderate heat on all sides until lightly golden. Salt the meat to taste. Don't fry too long, or the chicken will dry out. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

8. Step 8:

   

   Now sauté the prepared vegetables. First cook the onion until translucent, then add the carrot and pepper. Fry the vegetables until soft, stirring.

9. Step 9:

   

   At the end, add the tomatoes to the vegetables, lower the heat, and simmer for another couple of minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    Add the tomato paste and pour in a little boiled water. Stir everything together and simmer for another 2 minutes over low heat. Salt to taste at the end.

11. Step 11:

    

    Transfer the fried chicken to a deep, heavy-bottomed pot (a Dutch oven or cauldron works), and pour the tomato-vegetable mixture over it. If there isn't much liquid, add a little water. Taste for salt; add more salt and pepper if needed. You can also add any other seasonings you like. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

12. Step 12:

    

    Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it, add the noodles, and cook them. Check the package directions for the cooking time. If you're using noodle nests, be sure to add a teaspoon of any vegetable oil to the cooking water.

13. Step 13:

    

    Lift the noodles out with a slotted spoon, let the water drain, and transfer them to a plate. Spoon the vegetable-and-chicken gravy over the top. You can sprinkle chopped herbs on top (dill, cilantro, parsley). The delicious chicken lagman is ready! Serve it right away, before it cools. Enjoy, everyone!