INGREDIENTS
1 large whole chicken, preferably organic, 3.5 to 4 lbs.
For Poaching Liquid/Broth
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink or sea salt
2-3 large cloves garlic
1 3”-4’’ long galangal root, prepped for soup (click here for instructions)
2 stalks lemongrass, prepped for soup (click here for instructions)
For the Soup
1 – 8 oz. container oyster or white button mushrooms (see *Note on Mushrooms below)
1 – 8 oz. can coconut milk (I like Chakoh brand)
4 heaping Tablespoons Thai chili paste in soybean oil (Namprik Pao) (see **Note on Thai chili pastes below)
3 heaping teaspoons sweet chili paste for bread OR 1 teaspoon of palm or rock sugar OR 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar (see **Note on Thai chili pastes below)
3 large limes, at room temperature (2 for seasoning soup, plus one extra lime for serving at the table)
3 Tablespoons fish sauce (I like Three Crabs brand. Tiparos brand is widely available but is very salty – reduce by a Tablespoon if using)
3 stalks scallions (green onions), cut into thin rounds
¼ bunch cilantro, leaves removed and reserved, stem chopped
* Note on mushrooms for Thai soups. Fresh straw mushrooms or fresh oyster mushrooms are traditionally used in Thai soups. Do not use canned straw mushrooms like some Thai restaurants do – they are slimy, tinny, and nothing like the fresh version. I recommend white button mushrooms: they are ubiquitous, inexpensive, hold their shape well and taste the most like fresh straw mushrooms when cooked. If you like a softer texture then use fresh oyster mushrooms but add at the end of cooking. Don’t use dried Chinese black mushrooms (flavor too strong), shiitake mushrooms (too slimy), or brown/baby Portobello mushrooms of any size (impart an unattractive color).
** Note on Thai chili pastes. Chili paste in soybean oil (Namprik Pao, pictured below on the left) is, literally, roasted chili paste. It is the quintessential seasoning paste for Thai soups and stir fries. Salty and sweet, with loads of umami from dried shrimps. Chili paste for bread (pictured below on the right) is like the Thai Nutella. It’s almost fifty percent palm sugar. Delicious as jam on toast (I ate this with peanut butter on toast as a kid), it imparts sweetness and depth to the soup. If not available use palm sugar, rock candy sugar or light brown sugar as substitute.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Poach the Chicken
Wash the chicken well and with cooking shears trim away any excess fat in the neck and bottom areas. Reserve heart, gizzard, and liver for another use. Place the chicken in a large tall stockpot (or a large heavy cast enamel pot), then add enough cold water to submerge chicken by one inch. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
Note the water level on the pot so next time you won’t have to do this again. The amount of water needed will vary depending on the sizes of your pot and your chicken. For my 7.5 inch diameter, 7-quart stockpot and 3.8 lbs. chicken, this amounts to about 14 cups of water.
Lay each unpeeled garlic clove on the cutting board and with the flat end of a large knife smash the garlic clove open. Discard garlic peel. (Note: if using organic garlic, you do not need to discard the peel, which has a lot of flavor. Just wash the unpeeled organic cloves well before smashing.)
Prep the lemongrass stalks for soup (detailed instructions here). Prep the galangal for soup (detailed instructions here).
Add the prepared galangal, lemongrass, garlic, peppercorns and salt to the pot of cold water. Cover pot, turn heat to high and bring water to a rolling boil.
Remove the lid from pot and let water boil rapidly for about thirty seconds. Holding the chicken by the leg end in each hand, slowly lower the chicken, neck-side down, into the boiling poaching liquid until chicken is completely submerged. If necessary, use a long-handled spoon or spatula to push the chicken down to the bottom of the pot. The boiling will stop.
Leave the heat on high for about a minute until the water surface starts to agitate but before bubbles break surface. Put lid back on pot, turn heat down to low, and set timer for one hour.
While the chicken is poaching prep the veggies according to directions below.
After an hour, remove the cooked chicken from pot with a large tong. Slide one end of the tong through the bottom opening of the chicken, grip the back of the chicken with the other end of the tong and lift chicken over pot to drain. Set drained chicken in a large pan or high rimmed cookie sheet.
Check for doneness by inserting a sharp knife into the joint between the leg and the thigh. If there is any pinkness in the juice return the chicken and any juices back to the pot, cover and simmer on low for another 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from pot then recheck. Chicken is done with there is no pinkness in the juice. Remove chicken from pot and turn off heat when fully cooked. Set aside to cool.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle (about 5-10 minutes), peel off chicken skin and put back in pot. Remove and discard any fat solids under the skin.
Pull all the chicken meat off the bones. Use a paring knife to cut away any tendons and joints still attached to the meat. Store the poached chicken meat covered in the refrigerator.
Add all the removed chicken skins and bones and any juices in the pan back into the pot with the poaching seasonings and liquid, then set pot back on stove. If you have time, cover the pot and slowly simmer the mixture on low for 3-4 hours until the liquid is reduced by one-third. If you are short on time, you can rapidly boil the mixture uncovered on high for about thirty minutes to reduce by one-third. Be sure to turn the kitchen fan on high or condensation will occur on the ceiling above the pot!
Once the liquid is reduced by about one-third, turn off the heat. Scoop out large solid pieces then discard. Set a fine strainer on top of another large soup pot and slowly pour the stock mixture through the strainer. Discard all the strained solids.
If time permits, refrigerate the stock until the chicken fat solidifies on top and then remove fat with a spoon. Alternatively, skim the liquid fat off the top of the broth with a large spoon. Save the fat for another use or discard. You should wind up with about ten cups of seasoned chicken broth.
Prep the Veggies
While the chicken is poaching prep the veggies. Wash mushrooms well. For button mushrooms: cut in half lengthwise then lay flat side on cutting board. Cut each half into quarter-inch slices. For oyster mushrooms: tear mushrooms by hand into halves then quarters.
Top and tail green onions (use both the green and white parts) and slice crosswise into thin rings. Wash the cilantro well and shake of excess water. Trim bottom end and pull leaves off cilantro. Set leaves aside. Bunch the bare cilantro stems together on the cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/8 inch pieces.
Wash and cut two limes in half and juice. Discard any seeds. Set lime juice aside. Cut the last lime lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter crosswise in half. Reserve lime chunks for serving at the table.
Make the Soup
Return the broth pot to the stove on high and bring the chicken broth to a boil, uncovered. Add sliced button mushrooms and cook one minute. Reduce heat to medium. If using oyster mushrooms, wait until near the end and add oyster mushrooms right before adding the chicken meat.
Shake the unopened can of coconut milk well before opening. Add the coconut milk, chili paste in oil, sweet chili paste (or sugar), fish sauce and lime juice. Stir mixture well to dissolve pastes. Taste the broth and add more of each seasoning as needed. You want a tart, salty, spicy mixture with just a hint of sweetness.
Chop reserved chicken meat into large one-inch chunks. When the soup mixture returns to boiling add chopped chicken to pot. Stir well then reduce heat to low. Taste the broth again and adjust seasonings as needed.
Stir in the green onions and chopped cilantro stems and turn off heat. Do not add cilantro leaves to pot. It will quickly turn mushy, disintegrate and turn the broth a nasty shade of green upon reheating.
Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve piping hot. Top with cilantro leaves if desired. Provide extra lime slices, cilantro leaves, roasted chili paste and reserved chicken (if any) at table for diners to add as desired. For extra heat you can also offer fresh hot chilies (such as Serrano or Thai hot) sliced into thin rings. Enjoy! This soup is even better the next day, if you have any leftovers.
