Recipe: Indonesian laksa ayam (coconut chicken soup)
Bersama is not just any cookbook. Alongside the recipes, author Francis Kuijk also tells the story of her Indonesian family kitchen. The more than 90 Indonesian dishes are primarily meant to be shared, passed on to the next generation and eaten together, like this laksa ayam.
“At first glance, this version of laksa looks quite a bit like soto. The biggest difference is that this is a coconut soup. The tofu sticks also make this soup special. Tofu sticks are actually a by-product. During the cooking of soy milk to make tofu, a skin forms in the pan – somewhat like the skin that forms when boiling milk. This skin is lifted out of the pan and dried. To be honest, it does not have very much flavor; it takes on the flavor of the dish it is used in. But unlike raw tofu, it retains its shape well and thus adds texture to the dish.”
How to make laksa ayam
- Soak the tofu sticks in room-temperature water for at least 6 hours.
- Make a stock for 1 hour using 2 to 2.5 liters of water and the chicken legs, chicken breast, lemongrass, bay leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer the chicken gently until the meat falls apart. Remove the chicken from the stock, shred the meat into pieces, remove the bones and set aside.
- Make a boemboe from the onion, shallot, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric and ginger.
- Pour a layer of sunflower oil into a frying pan and sauté the boemboe until it colors and begins to thicken.
- Stir some of the cooled stock into the boemboe in the frying pan and bring it to a boil. Now pour this mixture into the rest of the stock and put the pan back on the heat. Crumble the chicken stock cubes and beef stock cube over the pan and bring the soup to a boil.
- Meanwhile, drain the tofu sticks and cut them into pieces 3 to 4 cm long. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and leave to drain.
- Turn down the heat under the stock and add the tofu sticks, shredded chicken, coconut milk, pepper and salt. Let the soup simmer gently for about 15 more minutes. Check whether the soup is seasoned to taste and remove from the heat.
- Assemble the dish by optionally placing some rice at the bottom of a bowl with some bean sprouts. Ladle in some soup and top with 1⁄2 hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, spring onion and fried onions.
Title: Bersama
Author: Francis Kuijk
Price: €27,50
Publisher: Good Cook
Also read:
