Experimenting With Kuay Tiaw Gai: Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

 I've been wanting to experiment with Thai dishes, thanks to the cookbook Jane gave me two Christmases ago. As I rushed to the grocery today, I grabbed the book in haste and studied the recipes on the road (I wasn't driving, of course). Here's what I decided to try at home:

Kuay Tiaw Gai (Thai Chicken Noodle Soup)

First prepare the stock:

Simmer the following ingredients in a pot for a full hour:

1 1/2 liters water
1/2 k. chicken (I used the bony parts for a nice, flavorful  broth)
1 red onion, sliced
3 full stalks of green onions
2 inch piece of grated ginger
5 pcs of dried Thai basil leaves (the grocery didn't have fresh ones)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
ground pepper

When the stock is done, remove the chicken and soggy onions from the pot.  Shred the meat, return it to the stock, and incorporate 2 tbsps of fish sauce and 2 sprigs of coriander leaves.  Before adding the fish sauce, please taste the stock first so that you're sure it won't be excruciatingly salty.

Next, boil 250g of dried stick noodles (kway teow) in a separate pot for 3 minutes (read the instructions on the packaging to make sure!).  Drain the noodles and rinse.

Place the noodles in the bowl of soup.  Finally, add some basil leaves or serve on the side, along with blanched bean sprouts and a wedge of lime (or lemon).

We enjoyed tonight's experiment with a serving of Tori No Karaage (Chicken Karaage).

Cheers!