Soto Ayam (Spiced Chicken Soup)

Ingredients

Broth

• 1 whole chicken, about 1.5 kg, cut into quarters
• 3 L water
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 3 cm piece galangal, sliced
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamom pods, cracked
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar

Spice paste

• 8 shallots, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 cm piece ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
• 3 candlenuts (buah keras)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Sambal kicap

• 6 bird's eye chillies
• 1 clove garlic
• 60 ml sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)
• 1 tbsp lime juice

To serve

• 600 g compressed rice cubes (nasi impit), or 300 g rice vermicelli, soaked and blanched
• 200 g bean sprouts, tailed
• 4 tbsp fried shallots
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 handful Chinese celery leaves, chopped
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Method

1. Put the chicken, water, lemongrass, galangal, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in a large pot. Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and candlenuts with 3 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the paste for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and smells sweet, with no raw garlic smell.
4. Lift the chicken out of the pot and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Stir the fried paste into the broth with the salt and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes more while you shred the chicken.
5. Pull the chicken meat off the bones and shred it into strips. Put the bones back in the broth for the rest of the simmering time, then strain the broth and taste for salt. Keep it hot.
6. For the sambal kicap, pound or finely chop the chillies and garlic and stir them into the sweet soy sauce with the lime juice.
7. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 20 seconds and drain.
8. To serve, divide the rice cubes or vermicelli between 6 bowls. Top with chicken and bean sprouts, ladle over the very hot broth and finish with fried shallots, spring onion and celery leaves. Serve with lime wedges and sambal kicap.

Tips

• Begedil: soto ayam is often served with begedil, small fried potato patties. Mash 500 g boiled potatoes with 1 egg, 2 tbsp fried shallots, salt and pepper, shape into 10 patties and shallow-fry for 3 minutes per side.
• Quick version: use 1 kg chicken thighs and 2 L ready-made chicken stock, and simmer for 30 minutes in step 1.
• Make ahead: the broth tastes even better the next day. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; store the chicken and noodles separately.
• Heat level: the soup itself is mild. All the heat is in the sambal kicap, so add it bowl by bowl.