Reciprocity.

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Thai chicken coconut soup.
bonacorsi found and made this. But we're married and California is a community property state, so I'm asserting co-ownership.

1 14-oz can coconut milk
14 oz chicken broth (I used a combination of water and house-made chicken stock)
sliced fresh ginger
(I added one large garlic clove, sliced wafer-thin)
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1" pieces
1 lb chicken breast or thighs, in 1" cubes
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili paste
1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves and 1 Tbsp cilantro for garnish

Combine coconut milk, chicken stock, ginger, and lemongrass in a pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add remaining ingredients except garnish. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until chicken is firm and opaque. Discard lemongrass. Garnish each serving with greenery.

What worked: Exceedingly tasty on a cold day. It tasted "right". The chili paste gave it a nice kick without being too spicy.

What didn't: The chicken got slightly overcooked and rubbery. We used breast meat; thighs would have been more flavorful.

Will I make it again? I think so. It's not great for us, given how fatty coconut milk is. But I could see making a large batch of broth and freezing it to pull out in small batches. Also, I'd like to try this with shell-on shrimp or other seafood. And adding bamboo shoots might be good.

What I'm reading: Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora (again)

Comments

[albionwood.livejournal.com]

Yes, I use thighs in this, and think they work much better than breast meat; and it is great with shrimp, too. Also try substituting Galanga (Kah) for the ginger. And add chopped green onions to the garnish.

This is one of the all-time great soups, up there with Chinese Hot & Sour. If you're worried about the fat content, serve a small bowl of it followed by a mess of stir-fried vegetables.

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

I made this not long ago with shrimp and calamari. I used chopped fresh chilis instead of chili paste, though. Yum!

[hrj.livejournal.com]

This is one of my absolute fave soups! (I'm not so hot on the chili paste, but in general I've found the commercial versions to be tolerable on that end.)