Food & Wine Chickie Insider

Last week, my guy and I had a craving for Thai Tom Yum/Ka Gai soup.  We used to get this tangy and spicy soup as take-out back when we lived in South Florida, but haven’t found a place we really like in the ‘burbs of Northern New Jersey.

I decided to try to make the soup myself, but with so many options and versions online, I sent a Tweet to my loyal followers requesting a vetted recipe.  Shortly after, Robyn Webb, who is a cookbook author, award-winning nutritionist and culinary instructor, answered with an offer to share a version of Tom Ka Gai that she uses in her cooking classes.  How great is that!?  If you’re on Twitter and are a foodie, I highly recommend you follow @robynwebb for interesting food insight.

I quickly stopped at the Asian market in Koreatown, around the corner from my office in Manhattan, for the ingredients, and promptly made the soup over the weekend to great success.  Here is Robyn’s recipe along with a photo of my results:

TOM KA GAI by Robyn Webb
(Lemongrass and Coconut soup)

Tom Ka Gai

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 10 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced
• 6 – 2 inch pieces lemongrass sliced on a diagonal (use the bottom portion of the stalk.  You will need 2 stalks)
• 4 slices galangal
• 8 Tbsp fish sauce
• 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3/4 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced or cubed
• 2 –  15 ounce cans coconut milk
• Cooked jasmine rice (about 1/3 cup per person)

Garnishes:

• Sliced chili peppers as desired (Thai people can use up to 3 chili peppers per person!)
• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, heat together the broth, lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce and lime juice.  Bring to a boil.  Add the chicken breast pieces and coconut milk.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  You may simmer longer if you wish for a stronger infusion.
2. Place a scoop of cooked jasmine rice in the bottom of soup bowls if desired.  Ladle the soup over the rice.  Garnish each bowl with chilies and cilantro.

Makes 6 – 8 servings

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 1/2 cups Vermont cheddar cheese, grated (10 ounces)
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Dash Tabasco
• 1/4 cup parsley

Melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onions, celery, and garlic and sauté 5 minutes.  Mix in flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper and stir 3 minutes.  Gradually stir in broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Strain.  Return to same saucepan.  Add half and half to soup and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until cheese melts after each additions.  Mix in Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6 Servings

• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (we used 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and 4 cups water), divided
• 2 pounds lobster bodies with flesh attached, hacked into 10 pieces
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 11/2 cups heavy cream
• 11/2 cups milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Lobster Base
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saute pan, melt margarine over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, green peppers and garlic about 4 minutes, or until fragrant, soft and just beginning to take on color. Add 1 cup chicken stock and hacked lobster bodies with flesh. Saute 4 minutes, shaking pan and turning sections of lobster until they turn pink and flesh is soft. Pour sherry over lobster and let sizzle, stirring about 2 minutes.

Remove lobster pieces from pan to a large platter; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove flesh from shells; set flesh aside. Return shells to pan and add remaining 3 cups chicken stock, heavy cream, milk and Lobster Base. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard all pieces of lobster shell.

Mix together soft butter and flour. Add mixture, a tablespoon at a time, to liquid in pan, whisking to dissolve it completely before adding next tablespoon. You want soup to be the consistency of heavy cream.

Strain mixture, reserving liquid in a 3-quart saucepan. In a blender, puree solids, including reserved lobster meat, until smooth. You may want to add a little reserved liquid to smooth solids as you puree them.

Return pureed solids to remaining liquid in saucepan, whisking well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 10 cups.

6 Servings

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 ounce Porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces Shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 Tbs. Madeira wine

Bring stock to a simmer.  Add porcini.  Remove from heat.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Drain, reserve soaking liquid.  Chop Porcini.  Melt butter over medium heat.  Add celery, onion, and garlic and sauté 8 minutes.  Add mushrooms and sauté 3 minutes.  Add flour, oregano, and pepper and sauté 3 minutes.  Whisk Porcini stock and half and half.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

4 Servings

• 6 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 1/2 large onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes(2 large), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 10-ounce cans baby clams, drained, liquid reserved
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup bottled clam juice
• 2 15-ounce cans cream-style corn
• 1 Tbs. Thyme

Cook chopped bacon in heavy saucepan over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon begins to brown.  Add onions and sauté 10 minutes.  Add potatoes and red pepper and sauté 1 minute.  Add reserved liquid, milk, and bottled clam juice.  Simmer chowder uncovered until vegetables are tender, 15 minutes.

Add corn and clams to chowder; simmer 5 minutes.  Mix in thyme and salt and pepper.

4 Serving

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 3 lb. onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 4 cups canned beef broth
• 2 Tbs. white wine
• 1 1/2 Tbs. brandy
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 French bread slices
• Swiss cheese for melting
• Mozzarella for melting

Melt butter in heavy large pan over medium heat.  Add onions, sugar, and salt.  Cover and let cook until onions are very soft, about 20 minutes.  Increase heat to high and sauté until onions are browned, about 10 minutes.  Add flour and stir 2 minutes.  Mix in broth, wine, Brandy, and mustard.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Season to taste.  Preheat broiler.  Ladle soup in the bowls.  Float bread on top of the soup, and sprinkle with some of both cheeses.  Broil until brown.

4 Servings

Creolina’s was a wonderful Cajun restaurant in downtown Ft Lauderdale near my former place of employment.  All their food was wonderful, but the crawfish bisque was outstanding.  Was able to get the recipe after it closed:

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds crawfish
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 4 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

1. Boil crawfish in a large pot of water. Drain and cool until crawfish can be handled easily. Remove tail and save shells. Refrigerate tail meat.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add crawfish shells, paprika and cayenne. Sauté 5 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Strain liquid into another pan. Crush shells to remove remaining liquid and add that liquid. Discard shells.
4. Return to heat and add onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, cream and tomato. Simmer 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add brandy and crawfish tail meat. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Servings: 8

This great soup is adapted from a popular soup I had at Dan Marino’s Town Tavern in Ft Lauderdale.  It was published in Taste of Home Magazine!

Tomato Bisque

Ingredients:

• 6 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté the celery, onion and red pepper in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt and pepper; cool slightly. Transfer half of the soup mixture to a blender. While processing, gradually add cream; process until pureed. Return to the pan; heat through (do not boil).

Yield: 5 servings.