Thai hot and sour coconut milk soup can be made very quickly in a good wok and adds a depth of flavor as a stir fry. The classic version has only chicken in the aromatic soup with chilies and herbs, or perhaps mushrooms, but it is wonderful with a few other market veggies and can be made vegetarian with Bragg’s liquid aminos instead of fish sauce and substituting tofu or eggplant for chicken.
INGREDIENTS:
1 chicken breast, sliced thin, or 2 thighs, sliced thin
3 shallots, diced
2-inch piece of ginger, diced Thai style (see demo)
1 six-inch piece of lemongrass, pulverized and diced
10 kaffir lime leaves
1 small onion, sliced
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (DO NOT SHAKE OR TURN UPSIDE DOWN!)
1 or 2 seasonal sweet frying peppers, sliced
5 shitake or oyster mushrooms, sliced
2-5 Thai chilies, sliced very thin, (gauge your own heat index…)
2-4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 paste or roma (or dry-farmed) tomatoes, halved and julienned
1 handful cilantro and thai basil
METHOD:
DO NOT SHAKE the coconut milk. Keeping it upright, open the can gently to expose the coconut fat on top. Heat a wok to medium hot and add 2 tablespoons of the coconut fat from the top of the can with a spoon. Add the shallot, ginger, lemongrass, and lime leaves and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the onion and stir fry for a minute or so, until softened, and then add the coconut milk.
Bring to a simmer and then add the chicken, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add hot and sweet peppers and mushrooms and cook until just softened.
Season with fish sauce and lime juice and garnish with tomatoes, and freshly chopped cilantro, and Thai basil. Serve with jasmine rice.
YIELD: 8 four-ounce servings
VARIATION: Great as a vegetarian dish with tofu, eggplant, zucchini, or winter squash. Remember that Bragg’s liquid aminos or light soy sauce should be used in place of fish sauce.
SOURCE: Chef Jamie Smith
