By Request…

I don’t usually go around posting recipes online. But this one got mentioned on Twitter, and now someone has requested it, and so I’m going to put it up here. I’m traveling and haven’t really been paying close attention to what’s trending online, and while I did see something about Hot Joy in Dallas, I didn’t look at it. Apparently it’s something about how it’s a terrible Asian fusion restaurant owned by white people. And somehow the result of this is that I, a white person, am going to post an Asian fusion recipe. So…I feel like maybe this is a questionable decision, but, whatever, this is a good recipe.

It’s based on the chicken tom yum recipe in Victor Sodsook’s True Thai. It’s basically the broth from the original recipe with the solid ingredients from a wild rice soup recipe. I’m not entirely sure what inspired me to make this originally, but it worked, and so now it’s a regular part of my repertoire. This is now pretty much the only version of wild rice soup that I make any longer.

A couple of notes: I make this with homemade chicken stock (or occasionally mixed chicken / turkey). If you are a stock maker, then this is what you’ll want to use. If not, then get a high-quality stock from the grocery store. For widely available brands, Kitchen Basics chicken stock is probably the best, but your store may have other options that you like better.

This recipe calls for a disturbingly small amount of chili paste, because that’s what my kids will put up with. It’s a critical flavor, and if you want more, you should definitely use more. If I had no kids, I suspect I’d use a couple of tablespoons. Though, of course, it’s easier to add more if you decide you need it than to remove some if you decide it’s too hot.

I feel like online recipes are supposed to have photos, and I actually have one, though it’s not a particularly good photo. Maybe someday I’ll take a better picture and update this post.

A bowl of Thai wild rice soup

Ingredients
3 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
5-6 oz fresh ginger, cut into slices
1 large stalk lemongrass, cut into two-inch pieces
2 cans (14 oz each) unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek, ground fresh chili paste)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2.5 tablespoons brown sugar
2.5 tablespoons fish sauce
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 celery stalks or some bok choy, chopped
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey
1.5 cups wild rice, cooked (about a half pound — this will yield a lot more than 1.5 cups of cooked wild rice, just to be clear).
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Directions
Put the stock, ginger, and lemon grass in a soup pot. Add the carrots and onions. Gradually bring to boil and simmer until the carrots and onions are more or less cooked. Stir in coconut milk and return to a boil. Add the tamarind paste, lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce, stir until dissolved. Then add the celery or bok choy, the chicken or turkey, and the wild rice. Return to a boil. Add the mushrooms and simmer until tender. (Note: we usually use bok choy because my wife doesn’t particularly like celery).
Remind everyone to remove the ginger and lemon grass. Some people will want to add more sambal oelek to their bowls.