Medicine Soup and Cape Breton

We chose to vacation on the Cape Breton and Upper Maine Atlantic Coast over the last week—a needed break from the thick New Orleans summer climate and also all things medicine and education (however, my dreams only ceased featuring scenes from various hospital call days on the last night of vacationing slumber…) The scenery was as breathtaking and naturally wondrous as had been promised, the company, beyond compare. The culture of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Upper Maine I found best described in a character from Joan Didion’s Book of Common Prayer which I happened to pick up and thumb through on the last plane home, “As a child of comfortable family in the temperate zone she had been as a matter of course provided with clean sheets, orthodontia, lamb chops, living grandparents, attentive godparents…ballet lessons and casual timely information about menstruation and the care of flat silver as well as with a small wooden angel to sit on her bed table and listen to her prayers.” The hillsides of Cape Breton seem like a place totally removed from the struggles featured on the news and in the daily dramas at my workplace. In future weeks I will blog a lobster roll or scallop dish, so inspired. But here, vacation as soup for the medicine woman’s soul.

Aromatic Shrimp and Noodle Medicine Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit

6 whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods

4 star anise pods

3 dried chiles de árbol

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 bunch cilantro

3 medium shallots, halved through root ends

5 garlic cloves, smashed

2 6-inch pieces lemongrass, tough outer layer removed, lightly smashed

1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced ½-inch thick

12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ cup cashews

1 medium shallot, chopped

1 Fresno chile, chopped

1 3-inch piece lemongrass, tough outer layer removed, finely chopped

1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon shrimp paste with bean oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 12-ounce packages ramen noodles

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 ounces mung bean sprouts

4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal

Fresh herbs (such as Thai basil, cilantro, and/or mint)

Freshly ground black pepper

Chili oil and lime wedges (for serving)

Toast cloves, cardamom, star anise, chiles, cinnamon, and peppercorns in a large pot over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cilantro, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, broth, and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until flavors meld, 1–1 ½ hours. Strain into a large bowl, pressing on solids. Return broth to pot; season with salt and pepper.

Pulse cashews in a food processor until very finely ground. Add shallot, chile, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar, and shrimp paste; process until smooth. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium and cook paste, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water. Bring broth to a simmer, add shrimp, and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Divide noodles among bowls. Add 2 Tbsp. paste to each and ladle broth over; stir to incorporate paste. Top with shrimp, sprouts, scallions, and herbs; season with pepper. Serve with chili oil and lime wedges alongside.