Tom Kha Gai
The term “comfort food” can be very broad and mean a lot of different things for different folks. And although I have several favorite foods that I would lump in this category, most being specific meals themselves, my favorite comfort food is a category all its own: soup. I can eat soup in the summer. I can eat soup for breakfast. Any soup situation a normal human being would not find themselves in, like some sort of culinary Tom Joad, I’ll be there. One day I’ll come up with my top five all time favorite soups list (if you’ve ever read High Fidelity by Nick Hornby you’ll fully understand my obsession with top five lists) but frankly, I haven’t the energy at the moment to compile a monumental undertaking like a top five soups list so I’ll just talk about one.
Tom Kha Gai is a spicy, coconut milk based soup that originated in Thailand and Laos. Translating to “galangal chicken soup” (galangal, by the way, is a root spice closely related to ginger). It has several different varieties, but the Gai version is my favorite. I think what I love the most about this soup is the way it perfectly balances the sweet (coconut cream/milk) and the savory (all other spices). It does so in a way that only Thai cuisine can accomplish.
Ingredients and Instructions
Stock
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- (2) 1 inch pieces of galangal or ginger peeled
- ¼ cup peeled and chopped lemongrass
- 1/2 lime juiced and zest
Combine all ingredients in pot and simmer for an hour. Strain and reserve.
Soup
- 8oz can of coconut milk
- 8oz can of coconut cream
- 1.5 pounds of chicken breast chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
Combine reserved stock, coconut milk, coconut cream, fish sauce, pastes, and sugar in pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and lime. Add mushrooms and chicken. Bring to light boil long enough to cook chicken through. Then, simmer for 10 minutes and taste again. Enjoy!