Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
Yield: 2 Quarts
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes




Ingredients
1 1/2 cup diced onion
2 tsp minced jalapeno
1 Tbsp minced garlic, 3 cloves
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 stalk lemon grass, in half
3 cups chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 cans coconut milk
1 cup diced tomato
2 Tbsp chili oil
1 Tbsp salt

2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Procedure
1. Begin by cutting the onions, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms into their specified sizes.
2. Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a medium soup pot over high heat and add the aromatics. Saute for about five minutes until they have softened and gained some light browning.
3. Add the stalk of lemon grass cut in half, chicken stock, and chicken breasts to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
4. When the chicken is almost fully cooked and opaque, remove it from the pot and let cool. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, chili oil, and salt and continue to simmer on low heat.
5. While allowing the chicken to cool prepare two cups of your favorite kind of rice according to the packaging directions.
5. Once cool enough to handle shred the chicken with either your hands or two forks into bite size pieces. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot  and continue to simmer.
6. To serve spoon about 1/3 cup of rice into the bottom of a bowl and ladle the soup over it, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and enjoy.

Chef's Note
       Here at RepairMyRecipe we believe in using fresh products especially produce but for this recipe using canned tomatoes works best because they are peeled and seeded ahead of time.
       Lemongrass is a species of tall grass native to India and Asia that has a light citrus flavor. In its whole form it looks like a very thick stalk of green hay and is available in most ethnic markets.In its whole form it is too fiberous to be eaten so leave it whole and  let the flavor infuse into the soup and then remove the pieces before serving.  If there is no ethnic market in your area it can also be found pre-chopped and in a tube in most large supermarkets.This variety is processed so that it can be eaten.


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Chef's Tip of the Week

Chicken Breast Tips

       One of the most used and promoted cuts of meat in the supermarket is boneless, skinless Chicken Breast. And why not? It's easy to use, versatile and very nutritious. The problem with this product is that you are losing all the other useful parts of the chicken by buying it separately. It is also more expensive because the butcher has had to process it more.
       At Repair My Recipe we know that not everybody has hours of time set aside in their day just to cook a meal. With that in mind instead of suggesting for you to break down a whole chicken we recommend using a Split Chicken Breast. This is a chicken breast that has the rib bones still intact and the skin on. This cut of meat is less expensive than buying skinless-boneless and it offers you more options of preparation. With the skin and bones on it creates a more flavorful and fatty piece of meat that can be used for braising. The rib bones can be removed, then cook the breast in a cast iron skillet leaving you with a beautiful crispy skin. Whatever preparation you decide on, using a split breast leaves you with chicken bones that can be saved and then used to make a homemade chicken stock.
     It only takes a few simple steps to turn this split chicken breast into a skinless-boneless one.

1. First remove the skin from the breast by simple pulling it off with your hands.

2. Once the skin is removed, flip the breasts to expose the rib bones. Using either a chef's knife or a boning knife, start at the large meaty side of the bone and slide your knife underneath it. Lifting the bone as you go make small cuts following the curve of the bone, trying to cut as little of the flesh off as possible.

   









3. Once the bones are removed, trim the small pieces of fat on the breast and what you are left with a skinless-boneless chicken breast and some bones.

     With these bones you can make one of the most simplistic and useful ingredients in your pantry,  homemade chicken stock. Every time you butcher some chicken at home save the bones in the freezer until you have accumulated 10 lbs. Now you are ready to make stock.

Chicken Stock

Yield: 1 gallon

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

10 lbs chicken bones

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced leeks

5 garlic cloves

1/2 cup parsley, stems and leaves

1 Tbsp peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 gallons water

4 cups ice cubes

Procedure

1. To first prepare for the stock, rinse the bones under cold water to remove any excess blood or fat that is still attached. 

2. Place the rinsed bones in a large stock pot, between 3 and 5 gallons, cover that with the water and ice cubes and bring to a simmer over medium heat. It is very important to begin with cold water, which is why you use the ice cubes. Bringing the stock up in temperature very slowly from ice cold to simmer will allow the impurities to rise and will leave you with a clearer stock. 

3. Once this mixture comes to a simmer use a ladle to gently skim off all of the impurities (white foam, fat, and particles) from the top. 

4. After skimming add all the vegetables and herbs to the pot and simmer for three hours. Continue to skim the top of the stock about every hour.

5. Now strain the stock through a mesh basket and immediately chill. Once cooled the stock should be rather thick and gelatinous, don't worry this is a good thing, it will become a liquid again once heated.  

        This stock will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and can be frozen for three months. Having chicken stock on hand or any stock for that matter is an essential part of a restaurant kitchen. It can be used for the base of soups, sauces, braising liquids, and reduced to become a jus. It is a far more flavorful liquid to use in recipes that call for water  and once you begin using homemade you will never go back to boxed or canned.

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