We highly recommended this hot, sour and fragrant soup for head colds and other ailments. It probably won’t cure you but it will make you feel better for a short while.
Tom yam gai – to serve 2
- 1 skinless chicken breast
- 1 litre fresh chicken stock
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped into short lengths and slightly crushed
- 3 small red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 lime leaves
- 1 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Bring the chicken breast to the boil in the stock, then turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, then remove, shred and set aside.
Add the scallions, garlic, lemongrass, chillies and lime leaves to the broth and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar and shredded chicken and keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and adjust the seasoning. Make sure the soup is piping hot and stir in the coriander just before serving.
(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Real Food, Fourth Estate, 1998.)
One of my very favorite ways to feed a cold!