Thai Tom Kha Gai Soup

INGREDIENTS:

Master Stock:

• 275ml soy sauce
• 150ml sake or rice wine vinegar
• 150ml mirin
• 3 star anise
• Half a tsp of coriander seeds
• 30g ginger root
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 red chilli
• 2 small pieces of dried tangerine peel
• Small handful of coriander stalks
• Outer leaf of lemongrass, bruised
• 600ml water

Tom Kha Paste:

• 5cm/2in piece ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic loves, peeled
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• small bunch fresh coriander, leaves chopped, roots reserved
• 1-2 shallots peeled, quartered
• 1 medium green chilli, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 3 fresh or 6 dried kaffir lime leaves
• 2 limes, zest only

Tom Kha Gai Soup:

• Glug of olive oil
• 750ml chicken stock (1 bouillon cubes)
• 250ml master stock
• 400ml / tin of coconut milk
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 chicken breast
• Handful button mushrooms
• 1-2 oyster mushrooms
• Handful of cherry tomatoes
• 2 pea aubergines
• 2-3 bok choi hearts
• Small handful spinach
• Small handful Thai basil leaves
• Small handful coriander leaves
• 1 small green chilli, sliced
• 1-2 limes, juice only, plus more to serve
• Olive oil, to serve
• Toasted sesame oil, to serve

MISE EN PLACE:

• Roughly chop the master stock vegetables.
• Measure the soy, sake, mirin and water out into a large saucepan.
• Peel and roughly chop the ginger, garlic and shallots for the paste.
• Bruise the lemongrass stalk with a rolling pin.
• Roughly chop the medium green chilli and coriander leaves.
• Zest and juice 2 limes.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes.
• Cut the pea aubergines in half length ways and then cut into finer wedges.
• Finely slice the small green chilli.
• Tear the oyster mushrooms into smaller pieces.
• Blanche the choi hearts in salted boiling water for a few seconds then plunge into iced water, reserve.
• Finely slice the chicken breast as thin as possible.
• Mix a tsp or olive oil with half a tsp of toasted sesame oil, ready to garnish at the end.

METHOD

Master stock:

• Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Sieve and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Tom Kha Gai Soup:

• For the paste, blend the paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
• For the soup, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce.
• Add the chicken stock and master stock and reduce for a few minutes.
• Sieve the stock until it’s clear.
• Add the chicken pieces, and allow them to cook in the broth for 2 minutes.
• Add the aubergine, mushrooms, spinach, tomato halves and continue to cook for a further minute.
• Drop the choi hearts in just before serving.
• To serve, add the lime juice to the soup and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Garnish with thai basil leaves, coriander leaves and sliced chilli.
• Squeeze over a little more lime juice to taste and finish with the olive oil and toasted sesame oil mixture.

BATTERIE DE CUISINE:

• Cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Liquidiser
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Ladle
• Serving vessel
• Bowls
• Pepper mill
• Tea towel