Lime and lemongrass coco chicken soup : an easy way to travel to Thailand (EN)

Some days, I really do enjoy being home and warm when it's cold outside, and preparing some typical winter meal. But there are also days when I feel like I need sun, sea and travels. Those days, I often cook Thai food and immediately feel like I was travelling over there for a few hours.
Chicken curry is one of this dish I've been loving so much when travelling in South East Asia. And once you got all the typical ingredients, it's really easy to prepare. And what about the delicate combination of flavours / herbs and aromates! I like to try different curries : this one with lemongrass and lime definitevely became one of my favorite during this winter.
Close your eyes, open your palate, try to identify all the ingredients and enjoy a cheap and easy trip to Thailand!


Ingredients for 6/8 people
1 can coconut milk
2-3 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, then the stuff in cartons; boullion cubes are a last resort.)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, washed and choppped in chunks
3 red shallots, peeled and chunked
2 handfuls of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves)
2 chili peppers, halved
1.5 inch chunk of ginger
3 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped
2 gloves of garlic, crushed
1 skinless chicken breast, cut in pieces
1 cup bamboo shoots
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 can baby corn
2 Tablespoon lime juice
1 tbsp zest of lime
Sesame oil
Black pepper


Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until both begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add black pepper, sugar, chopped ginger, half of the lemongrass and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken begins to brown, about 15 minutes.

Add the chili peppers, soy sauce, fish sauce, zest of lime, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, half of coriander and coconut milk. Add the chicken stock, bamboo shoots and baby corn. Stir, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer (adjusting the heat if necessary) until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes more.

Remove the keffir leaves. Scatter over the rest of lemongrass slices and coriander leaves and serve directly with rice.