Tom Kha Gai

Ingredients

• 24 ounces homemade chicken stock
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 to 6 fresh bird's eye chilies
• 12 ounces coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced against the grain
• 12 ounces canned straw mushrooms, drained
• 4 to 5 fresh kaffir lime leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh galangal, thinly sliced
• Fish sauce
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions

1. If you are starting with good homemade stock, add the 24 ounces to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat so it simmers steadily, then cook it down by half. If you are using store bought stock, move on without reducing it.
2. With a mortar and pestle, pound the lemongrass just until it smells bright and aromatic but the pieces are still intact. Transfer it out of the mortar and put it aside. Add the chilies to the mortar, crush them lightly, and reserve them as well.
3. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the coconut milk, chicken stock, lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. Set the pan over medium heat and warm the mixture until it reaches between 160 and 180 degrees F, being careful not to let it boil. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and chicken, then regulate the heat so the liquid stays between 160 and 180 degrees F. Stir now and then, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in the chiles, then take the pan off the heat. Mix well, season with fish sauce and lime juice to taste, and finish the soup with cilantro.