Smoked chicken, wild mushrooms, sweet basil, coconut & galangal soup

Known as ‘tom ka gai’, this soup is simple to assemble, yet contains such a complex and harmonious collection of sweet, salty, sour and spicy notes.

It only takes a few ingredients and around 10-15 minutes to make. All of the ingredients can be found easily in most supermarkets these days. This soup is also delicious using prawns instead of chicken, given the option I would still use smoked chicken stock with the prawns as the richness of the chicken stock makes for a delicious final product. To lift this exceptional bowl of soup to new heights garnish with a generous few tablespoons of nahm prik pao, chilli jam (recipe here) before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, skin and fat removed, sliced into rough 2cm by 2cm pieces (instructions for smoking in the method)

• 1/4 butternut squash (roughly 50g), peeled and sliced into rough 2cm by 2cm pieces (pumpkin can be used instead)

• 8 Thai shallots, peeled and slightly bruised in a pestle

• 2 green bird's eye chillies, bruised in a pestle

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly

• 2 sticks lemongrass, chopped into 2cm long pieces and bruised in a pestle

• 10g galangal, peeled and chopped into 2cm long pieces and bruised in a pestle

• 2 coriander roots, cleaned, washed and bruised in a pestle

• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

• 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce (soy sauce if vegetarian)

• 200ml chicken stock (vegetable stock if vegetarian)

• 300ml coconut cream

• 10g Thai sweet basil (normal basil will do)

• 50g assorted wild mushrooms (such as enoki, shiitake, and shimeji mushrooms)

• 1 lime, juiced

• 2 tablespoons nahm prik pao, chilli jam (for garnish)

Method:

1. Smoking the Chicken: To cold smoke the chicken, you'll need smoking wood chips, a large deep pan, a colander, and cling film. Place a small handful of wood chips into the pan and heat until alight. Extinguish the flames with a little water to create smoke. Quickly place the chicken in the colander, set it over the smoking pan, and cover tightly with cling film. Leave for at least 2 hours, or overnight for a richer smoky flavour.

2. Prepare the Squash: In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, submerge the squash, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until soft but not fully cooked. Set aside.

3. Create the Soup Base: In a medium saucepan, combine chicken stock, 100ml of coconut cream, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, sea salt, galangal, coriander roots, bird's eye chillies, lemongrass, lime leaves, butternut squash, Thai shallots, and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer.

4. Cook the Chicken: Add the smoked chicken pieces to the simmering soup and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

5. Finish and Serve: Stir in the remaining coconut cream and sweet basil. Divide the soup into bowls, garnish with chilli jam, and adjust seasoning to taste. The soup should be creamy, salty, a bit spicy, and aromatic with a hint of lime. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a complete meal.

   
   Thank you for indulging in this smoky adventure! This soup is a personal favourite, perfect for a cosy dinner. Pair it with steamed jasmine rice, and you'll have a seriously delicious combination. Until next time, happy cooking!

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