Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup)

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.2 kg), cut into pieces
• 2 liters water
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 3 cm galangal, bruised
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Ground Spices:

• 8 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 cm fresh ginger
• 3 cm fresh turmeric, roasted
• 3 candlenuts, roasted
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp coriander powder

For Serving/Garnish:

• 100g glass noodles (soun), soaked in hot water until tender, drained
• 200g bean sprouts, blanched
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• Fried shallots
• Fresh celery leaves, chopped
• Spring onions, chopped
• Lime wedges
• Emping (Melinjo crackers)
• Sambal (chili paste)

Instructions

1. Boil the chicken pieces in 2 liters of water until cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from the broth. Strain the broth and set aside.
2. Once cooled, shred the chicken meat from the bones. You can lightly fry the shredded chicken until golden for extra crispiness, or serve it plain.
3. Blend or grind all the ground spices into a smooth paste.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan. Sauté the ground spice paste until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add bruised lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bay leaves. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes until very aromatic.
5. Add the sautéed spice mixture to the strained chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Keep hot.
6. To serve, place a portion of glass noodles and blanched bean sprouts into a serving bowl.
7. Arrange the shredded chicken and hard-boiled egg quarters on top of the noodles and sprouts.
8. Ladle the hot Soto Ayam broth over the ingredients in the bowl.
9. Garnish generously with fried shallots, chopped celery leaves, and chopped spring onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges, emping crackers, and sambal on the side.