Tom Kha Gai

Method

1. Prep everything first. Trim any fat from the chicken and cut it into 2–3 cm bite-size pieces. Slice the galangal 2 mm thick (no need to peel it). Bash the lemongrass with the back of a knife and cut it into 4 cm lengths. Pull the tough centre rib out of each lime leaf and tear the leaves in half. Cut or tear the mushrooms into bite-size pieces, lightly crush the chillies with the flat of the knife and squeeze the lime juice.

2. Put the stock, half the coconut milk, the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves in a 18 cm pot and heat on medium-high heat until it bubbles at the edges. Turn down to medium-low heat straight away and simmer gently for 5 min to draw out the aromas. Hard boiling makes coconut milk split and turn grainy, so keep it at a lazy simmer.

   Add in this stepChicken stock (or water) 200 mlCoconut milk (unsweetened) 200 mlGalangal 25 gLemongrass stalks 2Makrut lime leaves 5

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

3. Add the chicken and cook on medium heat for 7 min, stirring once or twice and skimming off any foam. Cut the biggest piece open: it is done when it is white all the way through with no pink.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 240 g

   medium heat

4. Add the mushrooms, the rest of the coconut milk and the chillies and simmer on medium-low heat for 3 min more, until the mushrooms have softened and the soup is steaming again.

   Add in this stepButton or oyster mushrooms 100 gCoconut milk (unsweetened) 200 mlBird's eye chillies 2

   medium-low heat

5. Stir in the fish sauce and palm sugar until dissolved, then turn the heat off (heat off) and add the lime juice. Adding lime off the heat keeps it fresh and stops it turning bitter. Taste and adjust: more fish sauce if it needs salt, more lime if it needs brightness, until sour, salty and creamy are in balance.

   Add in this stepFish sauce 1½ tbspPalm sugar (or light brown sugar) 1 tspFresh lime juice 2 tbsp

   heat off

6. Ladle into bowls and scatter over roughly chopped coriander. The galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves are there for flavour, not for eating, so push them aside as you go. Serve with hot jasmine rice.

   Add in this stepFresh coriander (cilantro) 5 g