Thai Coconut Chicken Soup: Tom kha gai

Ingredients

• 1 quart chicken stock, with chicken meat,
  
• 1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried, hand torn
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
• 4 limes, juiced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.

Yield: 4 servings