Soto Lamongan Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.2-1.5 kg)
• 2 liters water
• Oil for sautéing
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• For Blended Spices:
  • 8 shallots
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 4 cm ginger
  • 3 cm fresh turmeric
  • 3 candlenuts, roasted
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
• For Aromatics:
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 3 cm galangal, bruised
  • 2 bay leaves
• For Koya:
  • 50g shrimp crackers (kerupuk udang)
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and fried until crispy
• For Toppings and Garnish:
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
  • 1 bunch celery, chopped
  • Fried shallots
  • Emping (melinjo crackers)
  • Lime wedges
  • White rice
  • Soto Sambal (chili sauce)

Instructions

1. Prepare Koya: Fry the thinly sliced garlic until golden and crispy. Set aside. Deep fry shrimp crackers until puffed. Once cooled, crush the fried shrimp crackers together with the crispy fried garlic until it forms a coarse powder. Set aside.
2. Prepare Chicken: Clean the whole chicken. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Briefly blanch the chicken for 5-10 minutes to remove impurities. Discard this initial water and rinse the chicken.
3. Sauté Spices: Heat a generous amount of oil in a separate pot or large skillet. Add the blended spices and sauté over medium heat until fragrant and the oil separates, indicating the spices are well-cooked (approximately 5-7 minutes). Add the bruised lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bay leaves. Sauté for another 2 minutes until very fragrant.
4. Cook Broth: Add the blanched chicken to the pot with the sautéed spices. Pour in 2 liters of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
5. Season Broth: Carefully remove the chicken from the broth. Season the broth with salt and sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Keep the broth warm.
6. Fry Chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool slightly, then deep fry it until golden brown and crispy. Once fried, shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces.
7. Serve Soto Lamongan: In a serving bowl, place a portion of white rice. Arrange shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg quarters, and chopped celery on top of the rice. Ladle the hot soto broth generously over the ingredients.
8. Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle a generous amount of the prepared koya and fried shallots over the soto. Serve immediately with emping, lime wedges (to squeeze fresh lime juice), and Soto Sambal on the side.