stream of lukewarm water and add it to the flour, stirring with
your fingers. As soon as you have something that looks like a
dough, knead the dough to develop the gluten. Grab a golf-ball-size
knob of dough and roll it in your hands as if you’re making a snake
out of Play-Doh. On the final motion of rubbing your hands
together to make the snake, launch the skinny snake (or “spinner”)
into the soup. Repeat until you’ve used up all the dough.
Continue to cook the soup until the yam and potatoes are
cooked through and the spinners are no longer doughy, about 15
minutes. Taste the soup for salt and ladle it into bowls. Drizzle
the thyme oil on top and garnish with a few more sprigs of thyme.
* To peel the squash, Powell cuts the whole thing in half through
the stem, then peels it all around with a very sharp knife. Make
sure to scrape out the seeds before using.* Use the legs, thighs, wings, and back (cut it into 3 pieces) with
all the skin and bones attached (that’ll give great body and
flavor). Wrap the breast in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for
another time.* Powell uses dried habanero powder but suggests the fresh
peppers as an alternative.* You can also use taro root, says Powell. I use a regular yam and
that works too. Powell warns that the skin of a white yam can
irritate your hands, so proceed cautiously.