Kaffir lime leaves: Hot and Spicy Chicken Soup

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Ingredients

hot and spicy chicken soup3 stalks lemongrass, bottom 6″ only

4 cups water or chicken broth

3 Kaffir lime leaves

1 lb. chicken breasts

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. fish sauce

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. lime juice

3 Serrano chiles (to your liking)

½ cup cilantro

Preparation

1. Slice the lemon grass in half, lengthwise. Crush the slices with a knife or cleaver and put them in a saucepan with the water or chicken broth and Kaffir lime leaves.

2. Chop the chicken into 3/4″ pieces, leaving the bones for flavor or removing them. Set aside.

3. Bring the water or chicken broth with the lemon grass and Kaffir lime leaves to a gentle boil and boil for 5 minutes, covered. Add the chicken and fish sauce and boil gently, covered, until the chicken is done, around 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and add the lime juice.

5. Remove the stems, but not the seeds, from the chiles, Crush the chiles with a side of a cleaver or large knife until they split in several places.  Add them to the soup and stir.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Courtesy of “Thai Home Cooking from Kamolmal’s Kitchen”, by William Crawford & Kamolmal Pootaraksa

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Soup: Chicken and Coconut Soup with Galangal

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Ingredients

6 slices fresh or dried galangal

5 whole stalks fresh lemongrass, cut into 2-inch lengths

8 peppercorns

5 cups coconut milk

2 lbs chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

Seasonings

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsps fish sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

3 fresh red chili peppers, either slivered or pounded

Garnishes

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn into shreds (optional)

Preparation

Put the galangal, lemon grass, peppercorns, coconut milk, and 1 cup of water into a soup pot.  bring to a boil over medium heat and add the chicken.  Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Remove the whole spices (lemongrass, galangal, and peppercorns).  Add the seasonings  (If you really like it very hot, add more chilies).

Transfer the soup to soup bowls and sprinkle with coriander and kaffir lime leaves before serving.

 

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Soup: Lemon Chicken Soup

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Ingredients for 4 servings

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced 1/4-inch strips

1 stalk lemon grass, smashed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 inch galangal root, thinly sliced

5 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

8 oz fresh tomatoes

2 oz button mushrooms

4 cups water

4 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 chili paste

4 tbsp lime juice

2 fresh not chilies

fresh coriander leaves

Preparation

Reserve the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves in a bowl.

Wash and cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces and reserve. Cut mushrooms into haves and reserve.

Boil 4 cups water in a soup pot.  Add reserved lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, and cook for 1 minute. Add fish sauce and cook for another minute. Add chili paste and reduce heat to medium.  Add tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the broth bubbles again.  Add mushrooms and cook for one minute.

turn heat to high heat and ad the chicken strips.  Stir to separate the strips and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Add 4 tbsp lime juice and stir.

Crush the fresh chilies and cut in half.  Add the chilies to the soup and turn off heat.  transfer to a soup bowl, top with fresh coriander leaves,and serve immediately.

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Thai Soup: Sour Chicken Soup with Eggplant

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Paste for 4 servings

4 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked, seeded and deveined

1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass

1 tablespoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

4 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

1 cup water

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 pound chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick strips

4 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon fermented fish (optional)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups small round Thai eggplants, trimmed and cut in half

1/4 cup tamarind juice

Handful of fresh basil leaves for garnishing.

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a stockpot.  Add the coconut milk and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil separates from the milk.  Add the spice paste and cook for another 2 minutes or until the aroma is released while stirring constantly.

Add the chicken , chicken broth, or water, sugar, fish sauce, fermented fish (if used), and salt, cook and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes.  When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add the eggplant, tamarind juice, and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the eggplant is tender, but not too tender.

Pour the soup into a large soup bowl and garnish with the basil and serve with rice.  You may add some chilies if you prefer it hot.  Make it 4 servings.