Chicken Soup With Galangal (Kai Tom Kha)
2 stalks lemon grass
1 cup water
4 cup coconut milk
8 chicken thighs or
4 chicken breasts diced
10 slice galangal
2 tablespoon fish sauce
3 small fresh chilies
3 bergamot leaves
2 tablespoon lemon juice
GARNISH:
spring onions shredded
chilies shredded
This one's a bit more complex and gets into some exotic ingredients. All of them should be
available from an Asian grocery. If you have any questions about what the ingredients are or how to
use them, just ask. The only thing that can not be substituted for is the fish sauce. You could use
ginger instead of galangal, but the soup would lack the perfumed, exotic aroma of the galangal that
adds so much to the dish. Lime zest could be used for the bergamot leaves. Cut the lemon grass into
1-inch pieces. Bring the water to the boil with half the coconut milk. Then add the chicken, lemon
grass, galangal and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is
cooked. Less cooking time will be required for diced chicken breast. Stir in the remaining coconut
milk and turn up the heat. As soon as it begins to boil, toss in the whole chilies and bergamot
leaves. Stir, and remove from the heat. Serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle each with lemon juice
and fish sauce to taste and garnish with slivers of spring onions and chili.
Yield: 1
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