
Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup) is an Indonesian culinary icon which has various servings and methods of cooking. I quite like cooking it with lots of fresh herbs, if not frozen. Those ground spices are not bringing the best flavour of the chicken at all. It won't taste fresh and clean on the palate, so don't use them!
Some people enjoy Soto Ayam with rice, others like it best with so-un (glass/cellophane noodles) or bihun (rice vermicelli). Either or, as long as the soup is hot and fresh, it will be fantastic. Lovely to enjoy this in the edge of Winter and early Spring, when showers are still lingering and cool weather is still faithfully sending us its breeze.
A bowl of soup, sitting in the orchard where plum blooms are covering each trees, is a way to sweep gloom away.
Soto Ayam
by Arfi Binsted
It is your personal choice either enjoying it with rice or noodle.
Chicken Broth
1 free-range chicken, jointed (weigh about 1-1.5kg)
3 lemongrass stalks, bruised
3cm ginger root, bruised
2cm turmeric root, bruised (I use frozen one)
2cm galangal root, bruised (I use frozen one)
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
3 bay leaves
100ml coconut milk (add more if you want thicker flavour)
Cook these ingredients together, except coconut milk, with water just to cover the whole joints until boiling, then simmer and continue cooking until the chicken is tender. Strain. Put the broth back into the saucepan and add in the seasoning paste and coconut milk. Put chicken in another bowl or container, and shredded. Cover for later use.
Bumbu Soto (Soto Seasoning)
1 1/2 Tbs coriander seeds
1 Tbs cumin seeds
8 shallots, peeled and choppped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 candlenuts
Make a paste of these ingredients using either mortar and pestle or food processor. Cook in a little oil until fragrant. Just gentle, not too dry. Add it in the broth and cook further more until you have a good aroma from it.
Garnish
sliced spring onions
fried shallots
raw cabbage, sliced thinly
mung bean sprouts
hard-boiled eggs
diced and cooked potatoes
sliced limes
Assemble
Put noodle/rice in a bowl, pour in the broth. Pile shredded chicken, vegetables, egg, sprouts, and potatoes on top. Sprinkle with fried shallots and sliced spring onions. Serve warm. Makes 4-6.
7 comments:
Wowo wish i had that bowl of siup, looks so so delish.
Ciao Arfi,
just a quick note to let you know that I left you an answer in my post about writing a book... with a couple of ideas (maybe).
ciao
A.
Looks delicious, Arfi! I love the layout you've made in the last picture.
Oh! This looks so comforting Arfi...and very aromatic!
Your blossom looks lovely, and the grass is so green! It's lovely that it's warm enough to enjoy your soup outside. I like the way it's served with all the optional extras!
The scenery grabbed my attention first; how beautiful! I wish I could be so lucky!
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