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May 02, 2004
So Close I Can Taste It
What does finishing finals taste like? I tastes like being able to cook again. This semester, in part because I was trying to eat less junk food and save money, I did a fair amount of cooking. With research papers to write and exams to study for, the cooking and junk avoidance both went on hiatus. My last exam was yesterday (crisis averted) and though I have two papers which will carry over into summer, I'm readying for a return to the kicthen. Following Will and JCA, here's some good soup.
Thai(?) Chicken Soup
8 cups chicken stock*
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 head of bok choi
1 pound of mushrooms**
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup or so sliced ginger
2 stalks lemongrass***
2 Serrano chiles
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1. Chop the bok choi into bite-size pieces, or slightly larger. Think rustic. Get a good mix of the white and green parts.
2. Chop the mushrooms. If they're small, quarters will work well, otherwise slice them. A mix of both is good for texture.
3. Cut the lemongrass into pieces 2-3 inches long, then bruise those or score them lengthwise to release the flavor. You don't want to actually eat the lemongrass, so don't cut it so small people can't easily avoid it.
4. Mince the chiles. Take out the seeds and membranes if you don't like it too hot. Replace the two serranos with one habanero if you do like it too hot.
5. Chop the garlic, but not too fine. Leaving it in larger chunks gives it a sweeter flavor in the soup.
6. Put everything in a pot and bring to a boil.
7. Lower the heat and simmer for about half an hour, covered. Taste it to check the seasoning.
8. Serve with sliced lime and chopped cilantro.
I don't know that there's really anything Thai about this, or at least anything that makes it more Thai than, say, Vietnamese. But the original recipe I used, and have since modified, was called Thai Chicken Soup. It's easy and very adaptable to different tastes. I like that it's on the spicy side, but not heavy like chile, so it's perfect for spring and summer. You can replace the chicken with shrimp, but don't put them in until a few minutes before serving so they don't get too tough. You can't go wrong adding a can of coconut milk either, but that sort of changes the low fat, relatively low carb aspect of the recipe.
* Make your own if you like. Many will say it's better. I like this recipe because I can make it in an hour, form start to table. I use canned stock most of the time.
** I use a mix of button mushrooms, cremini, and shiitake. Whatever's not too expensive will work fine.
*** You can get fresh lemongrass in the produce section of most grocery stores now.
Posted by buddha at May 2, 2004 04:55 PM
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Comments
A favorite over at Casa de Pal is Vegetable Forest Curry:
2.5 cups water
1 tsp thai red curry paste (you can make your own paste, but the stuff in the plastic/metal can isn't all that bad)
2 inch piece of galangal (or ginger)
1 cup green beans
2 kaffir lime leaves (torn)
10-12 baby corn cobs, halved
3 cups bean sprouts (the big crunchy kind like korean's use)
1 tbsp green peppercorns (drained)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
mix water + paste and bring to boil
chop ginger and then add everything else to the boiling sauce. Bring back to boil and then simmer for a few minutes.
Very light, tasty and super easy.
Posted by: shoop at May 2, 2004 07:43 PM
You can get shiitakes cheap?
I thought that was impossible in the US. At least based on my n = 1 study of the Ralphs on Yorba Linda...
Posted by: Chocobo Puduu at May 3, 2004 12:52 AM
Shiitakes run about $12-13/pound in recent experience, which I recognize is far from cheap. But you can get a small handfull and throw them in with half a pound of white button mushrooms and half a pound of creminis. On sale, the creminis run about the same as the buttons.
Posted by: buddha at May 3, 2004 01:51 AM
hey buddah!
Your soup sounds YUMMY! Look for receipes with the name Laksa in them. Very similar complete with Singapore, Thai, and Malay styles. Try and enjoy!
Posted by: Emily in London at May 20, 2004 07:36 AM
Good call Em! Google search for laksa.
Posted by: buddha at May 21, 2004 01:42 AM