Chicken Soup, Thai-style

Ingredients grouped by step

• A tablespoon or so of sesame oil

• A knob of ginger (about an inch)
• A knob of galangal, if you can find it
• A few cloves of garlic
• A nice fat shallot
• About an inch of fresh lemongrass (the plump stalk part)
• A kaffir lime leaf or so
• A fresh chili, if you like a little fire in your soup (this is optional)
• A half teaspoon of crushed black peppercorns
• A half teaspoon of crushed white peppercorns
• A half teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds

• The juice of one lime

• A quart of chicken broth or stock

• A tin of coconut milk (about a cup and a half)

• A bunch of green onions
• A bunch of cilantro
• A sprig of Thai basil
• A sprig of mint

Mince the ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and chili. Tear the lime leaves into quarters.

Heat the oil over a medium-high flame, in a two-or-more-quart saucepan.

Toss in the minced spices, the lime leaves, and the coriander and peppercorns. Sauté until the garlic is nicely browned.

Add the lime juice. Listen to that sizzle!

Pour in the chicken stock, turn the flame down to medium, and let it simmer for about fifteen minutes.

Now add the coconut milk. Yum!

Simmer for another five minutes or so, until the soup is good and hot.

While you wait for the soup to finish, chop the cilantro, green onions, Thai basil, and mint, into small bits.

Ladle the soup into pretty bowls, and scatter a good handful of chopped herbs over each portion. I promise it will taste better if you eat it with a proper soup spoon.

Serves 4-6, depending on the size of your bowls, and if you like to have seconds.