#galangal

Ingredients  

2 cups chicken stock, unsalted, preferably homemade

1 ½ cups coconut milk, (see note 1)

½ teaspoon table salt

1 lb chicken thigh, boneless skinless, cut 1-inch pieces (see note 2)

1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed and cut in 2-inch pieces

12 thin slices galangal, (see note 3)

5 makrut lime leaves, twisted to bruise and torn into big chunks

1-3 Thai chilies, to taste, smashed until broken or cut into large pieces

2 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar,  or granulated sugar

5.5 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces

2 ½ tablespoon lime juice

Chopped green onion and/or cilantro, for garnish

Jasmine rice, for serving, optional

Notes

For a lighter soup, you can add reduce the coconut milk by about ½ cup and increase the chicken stock by the same amount.

If using chicken breast, cut into ½-inch thick slices and marinate in 1 tablespoon of fish sauce while you're prepping. Skip step #1 as chicken breast does not need to be simmered and is best cooked only briefly, and omit the salt. Reduce the chicken stock to 1 ½ cups and add it at step #2. Add the chicken breast to the soup at the end along with the mushrooms in step #3 and cook for a couple of minutes just until the chicken is done. Be sure to taste and adjust the salt at the end!

The lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves are meant for infusion only and not meant to be eaten. Please inform your guests or remove them before serving.

Instructions 

Bring chicken stock to a boil, then add the salt and chicken thigh. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.

Add the coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, chilies, mushrooms, about half of the fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse.

Taste and add more fish sauce as needed. Turn off the heat and add about 2 tablespoon of the lime juice, then taste and add more as needed. Top with green onions and/or cilantro.

Dogstomp #3038 - April 26th Lesson: There is no correct amount of time for dried galangal to soften up. It does not. Leave it in big chunks so you can just pull it back out after it's done flavoring the thing.