Chicken Coconut Soup (Tome Kha Gai)

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 fresh hot red and green Thai chiles, stemmed and lightly pressed with the side of a knife (or 3 or 4 serranos, thinly sliced) for garnish (optional)
• 2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and very thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 10 to 12 thin slices galangal, fresh, frozen, or dried (or 10 to 12 thin slices fresh unpeeled ginger)
• 14-oz. can low-salt chicken broth or 1-¾ cups water
• 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (shake the can before opening it)
• ¼ lb. white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and thinly sliced to yield 1 cup
• + 5 more ingredients
• • 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
  • 6 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves (also known as kaffir lime leaves), torn or cut into quarters
  • 2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 1 boneless chicken breast half (about 6 ounces), cut into bite-size chunks or sliced across the grain into strips

Trim away and discard the root end and the top 3 inches of each stalk of lemongrass, along with any brittle leaves. Pound each stalk lightly with the spine of a cleaver or an unopened can. Cut each stalk crosswise into 2-inch lengths and set aside. In a large serving bowl, combine the lime juice...

View full recipe at Fine Cooking