Coconut chicken soup

Coconut chicken soup - from Simple Thai Cookery by Ken Hom

• 2 fresh lemon grass stalks
• 1.5 liters (2 - 1/2 pints) homemade chicken stock or good-quality bought stock
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh galangal or ginger
• 6 kaffir lime leaves or 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped lime zest
• 6 tablespoons finely sliced shallots
• 225g (8 oz) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 fresh red or green Thai chillies, seeded and finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 x 400 ml (14 fl oz) tin of coconut milk
• a handful of fresh Thai basil leaves or ordinary basil leaves

1. Peel off the tough outer layers of the lemon grass stalks, leaving the tender whitish centre. Cut it into 7.5 cm (3 inch) pieces and crush with the flat of a heavy knife.
2. Put the stock in a large pan with the lemon grass, galangal or ginger, lime leaves or zest, and half the shallots. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, discarding the lemon grass, galangal, lime, and shallots, then return the stock to the pan.
3. Cut the chicken into 2.5 cm (1 inch) chunks and add to the strained stock, together with the fish sauce, lime juice, chillies, sugar, coconut milk and the remaining shallots.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Transfer the soup to a large tureen, garnish with the basil leaves, and serve at once.