Tom Kha Gai - Chicken Coconut Soup

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and fry the lemongrass and ginger in it 1 minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot
2. 2
   Add the stock and lime leaves to the pot and bring to a boil.

   Stove
3. 3
   Turn down the heat and simmer 15 minutes, until the stock takes on the flavor of the lemongrass and ginger.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 4
   Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.

   Stove

   💡Bring coconut milk only to a gentle boil: a long, hard boil makes it split and the fat floats.
5. 5
   Stir in the fish sauce and lemon juice. Taste: the soup should be tangy and salty. Adjust to taste.

   💡Balance at the end, once the flavors have come together: add sour, sweet and salty a little at a time, tasting between additions.
6. 6
   Add the red pepper and cook 5 minutes.

   Stove
7. 7
   Add the chicken and mushrooms, gently separate the slices and cook 8 minutes, until the chicken turns white.

   Stove

   💡Thin chicken slices cook in the simmering stock within minutes and stay tender: add them after the hard vegetables, not at the start.
8. 8
   Add the sliced chili and cook 1 minute.

   Stove
9. 9
   Serve hot in bowls, and sprinkle the cilantro on top.