Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

www.Myrecipes.com

I have found that most self-proclaimed food enthusiasts appreciate a good Thai meal. What I have also discovered is that not everyone knows about Thai Chicken Coconut Soup.

I'm not the first person I've heard call it the "nectar of the gods" and I find myself craving it when I need a truly refreshing, replenishing dish.

All credit to me ever trying this soup is due to my mother, who encouraged me to try it despite the fact that up until then, I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of coconut.

If you are among the people who has yet to appreciate this soup, it's described on Thai Thai II's menu as "the most aromatic herb soup: chicken with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, mushroom, chili and lime juice."

Bethlehem's Thai Thai II (see the urbanspoon.com page here) #15 Tom Kha Gai is the best of this soup around. San Francisco's Citrus Club on Haight Street (click here for their website) also has a great version that includes noodles.

As much as I like this soup, and have always wanted to attempt to make it myself, it requires some ingredients that are slightly obscure if you don't live next to an Asian grocery. To be honest, I'm still not sure what exactly galangal is.

Despite that, if you're willing to try here's the recipe from www.myrecipes.com that looks like most recipe versions I've seen.

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken or medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans canned coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 (1 inch) piece galangal, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks lemon grass, bruised and chopped
• 10 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1. Saute chicken in a little oil (sesame, olive, vegetable) until it turns white. For a shrimp substitute, bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil the shrimp until cooked, about one minute. Drain shrimp, and set aside.

2. Pour the coconut milk and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan; bring to a simmer. 

3. Add the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the flavors are infused. Strain the coconut milk into a new pan and discard the spices. 

4.Simmer the shiitake mushrooms in the coconut milk for five minutes. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Season to taste with curry powder. 

5. To serve, reheat chicken/shrimp in the soup, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with green onion and red pepper flakes.

Other versions I've tried have also included bamboo shoots, cilantro, minced fresh ginger root, scallions, carrots, and turmeric.


I have a feeling I'll fold and make a recipe some day, but until then I'm really quite happy ordering it at Thai restaurants almost because it's worth ordering for it's labor and complexity

A Week of Bethlehem Dining in Retrospect

I've had friends visiting me every night this week from Monday to Sunday and needless to say, did plenty of dining out. Here's a recap, and perhaps recommendations to be taken into account for future diners in Bethlehem!

For a kick of caffeine and academic productivity in preparation for a full week of entertaining: the Dalai Latte- a Chai tea with coffee ice cubes at Deja Brew Coffeehouse & Deli, 101 W. 4th Street. Coffee ice cubes are available as an option for all of their drinks and prevent any iced drink from becoming diluted as the cubes melt. Genius!

I returned to Deja Brew on Tuesday and finally split a Wasabi Cole Slaw with my friend Blair. The thought of those flavors together had been piquing my curiosity for days and it was finally satisfied. I completed an essay, she did some reading. I cannot recommend Deja Brew more for any of the above reasons.

Wednesday: Several friends came to town as representatives for their new company of employment at the Lehigh Career Fair. We reminisced and reconvened at the Asian Bistro, 24 East 3rd. St. I especially enjoyed my Jungle Roll: Spicy tuna roll topped with toasted eel, served with "Rudy's special sauce." ...Whatever the special sauce is, it's an excellent roll. Also, BYOB Frontera Sauvignon Blanc (excellent inexpensive buy!)

Thursday: Drinks at one of the coolest places in Bethlehem- The Bookstore speakeasy. Prohibition-era decoration and authentic drinks. The Adams Street Shuffle is still my go-to: "Pure sunshine and deliciousness in a glass. Polish vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, Aperol, and orange zest." Also tried the Honeysuckle, which is still good but not as fantastic as the former. The Bookstore is at 336 Adams Street. Excellent date spot and also fantastic food-I've split a cheese plate in the past and look forward to a meal there soon.

Friday: The Charlotte egg scramble at Blue Sky on 4th Street for my friend Kelsey's last day in town. The Charlotte is like a western omelette but with the cheddar, onion, green peppers, tomatoes, home fries, and bacon scrambled in with the egg. While Blue Sky has many quality menu items, I can't bring myself to order anything else because it hits the spot every time.

Saturday: As on most football game days, we found ourselves at J.P. McGrady's on 3rd Street, enjoying cups of complimentary popcorn and pitchers of Blue Moon on the back porch. I would also highly recommend McGrady's Sweet N' Sweaty Wings that are a fantastic combination of spicy and savory.
Three of us split meals from Thai Thai II for dinner: the Tom Kha Gai coconut chicken soup which I've already raved about it past posts, Cashew Chicken, and Shrimp Pad Thai. Delicious as always.

Sunday: As usual, our first attempt for brunch at Billy's Diner was thwarted by throngs of other Lehigh kids and locals. As a result, our group found ourselves at Olio Restaurant, 553 Main Street for lunch. The meal was satisfactory but not phenomenal. Slow service. Started out well with excellent appetizer bread and dipping olive oil and spices. Our table split Caprese salad and Margherita Pizza as appetizers and I split a Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a friend. All of the above were decent but on all accounts could have used more basil. The Margherita Pizza was also burnt. I also happen to love basil, so that is certainly a matter of taste. Friends recommended the Gnocchi from past experience, which I may have to return for!

That's a wrap. Now homework.
Bought Dandelion greens at Wegman's grocery store this week to experiment with and looking for a good recipe...will post soon about how that goes!