Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup
This is a easy Thai soup that even I make, and it is so good. To make good Thai food, think like a Thai, boil meat, add vegetables, add flavorings, I know that does not sound right or even good, but that is the basic premise for Thai soup and curry cooking. This is an adjust as you go recipe, many ingredients are general in amount.
Ingredients
- 4-8 chicken legs, or legs and thighs, skin on
- 1-2 cups coconut milk
- mushrooms, Straw would be best, button is ok
- 5-6 slices ginger, OR galangal
- 4-5 Bird's Eye Chilis, sliced
- 4-5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 stems lemon grass, see Step 1
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce, OR soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- For the lemon grass, take each stalk and on a heavy cutting board and using a pestle, the flat side of a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, etc, smash the stem until it is pliable then tie into an overhand knot. This does 2 things for you, releases the oil, and keeps everything in one bundle so it can be removed (last thing people want to do when eating is to remove items that cannot be eaten from their dish).
- In a large pot, add the chicken and cover by about 2-3 inches of water, and add the ginger, lemon grass bundles, lime leaves, and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then reduce to a medium heat. You just made a chicken broth, basis for your soup. At this point you can remove the skin if you like.
- Now add the coconut milk, chilies, simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Adjust taste to your liking with lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. As more water as needed.
- Add the mushrooms and some cilantro, cover and cook for 5 minutes then remove from heat. This will cook the mushrooms.
- Remove the lemon grass bundles, lime leaves, and ginger, Serve with rice.
Notes
Chicken legs cost about 65 Baht/kilo, for this, maybe 40 baht. For 4 servings, about 30 cents per serving.
Recipe I have made many times.
Leave a Reply