Soto Ayam

I must say I surprised myself making this Indonesian Soto Ayam for the weekend. I'm so exhilarated that it turned out really, really well, leaving Silver Bullet wanting more! I did make everything (even the sambal) from scratch and am very proud of the end result. I guess it helps that I actually broil the soup over slow fire since Friday night to get the maximum flavour of the chicken (although, not continuously but rather on and off for several hours at a time) before serving it for our weekend dinner at home.

This soup is rather versatile, too. On Saturday, I served with Macaroni (al dente), making it a version of Macaroni Soup. With the same soup base served with yellow noodles, it becomes a Mee Soto for Sunday dinner. Definitely my idea of variety!

Here's my version of the recipe:

• 4-6 chicken breast meat with skin and bones
• 2 stalk of lemon grass
• 60 ml coconut milk
• 1 and 1/2 non-MSG chicken cube stock
• 1/2 non-MSG beef cube stock (optional)
• 3-4 glasses water

Spice Paste:

• 1 and half teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds (soaked in water for 5 minutes first)
• 4 shallots (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 2 pieces of fresh turmeric (peeled and chopped)
• 2-inch piece of galangal (peeled and sliced)
• 2-inch piece of ginger (peeled and sliced)
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice

Other ingredients (Garnish):

• 2 hard-boiled eggs (cut into wedges)
• Bean sprouts
• Bergedils

• 1 stalk of spring onion & coriander (chopped) and fried shallots

Method:
Blend the spice paste in a blender. Add some water if needed. Pour some oil in a pot and add in the spice paste. Stir the spice paste and wait for it to turn light brown. Add in the chicken pieces and boil for at least half hour before adding in the chicken cubes, coconut milk, lemon grass strips, and water. Cover the pot and lower the heat and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or boil it slowly for longer if you have the time. Add salt to taste.

[Mid-way of simmering the soup, I took out the cooked chicken and shred the meat to set aside for serving. The skins and bones are then dumped back into the soup for further boiling. This is essentially tips from cooks to make the soup tastier!]

Blanch beansprouts, pre-soaked vermicelli /yellow noodles, macaroni in boiling water and transfer them into a bowl once they are cooked. Add in toppings of hard-boiled eggs, chopped spring onions and pour the hot chicken broth into the bowl. Serve hot with lime wedges. Enjoy!