Here’s a revelation: apparently, our good old chicken soup with boiled rice in it has a fancy name! ‘Brothy rice‘ indeed sounds so much better. And not just that: by simply learning a new name for an old dish, you immediately see all the opportunities this dish holds. In my head, I’ve already made at least five different bowls with all sorts of broths and toppings. Oh the power of words! By the way, this is the original Russian version, also known as ‘Feel Better Chicken Soup’:

As you may have guessed, we make this soup when someone’s getting sick. And on the first school day after the spring break, it happened to be our son. But this time, instead of the usual broth suspects – carrots, celery and a bunch of herbs roots – I bought a set of Thai aromatics. Because, who said a rich chicken broth won’t make you feel better is it’s dressed differently? 😀

The Flavour Affair:

Chicken Broth + Lemongrass + Makrut Lime + Ginger + Cumin + Coriander + Garlic + Turmeric + Star Anise + Cilantro

This dish has, in fact, two major taste components. First, the broth is infused with bold Thai flavours. Second, the boiled and shredded chicken is briefly fried in a mix of ground spices. The aromatic, slightly crunchy coating is super yummy and adds a nice texture to the bowl.

Chicken Broth: I simmer a whole fresh chicken (900-1100g) over low heat for 2-2.5 hours in about 5 litres of water. That yields a rich, robust broth, with nice fattiness and a deep meaty flavour. You can then divide it into batches and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. However, for just this dish you can also use half a chicken, or even just a couple of legs, with less water and shorter cooking time.

Lemongrass and Makrut Lime are essential ingredients in Thai cuisine, and they are responsible for the unmistakably Thai flavours of our brothy rice. I added ginger root for some spicy warmth, as well as its medicinal properties (it’s still a feel better bowl, remember?). Thai chilies are not for everyone, so I passed on them for the broth and chopped one for toppings.

Spices for the chicken:

I also used ground ginger in the spice blend for chicken coating. In its dry ground form, ginger has a sharper, more pungent taste. I mixed it with earthy cumin, musky turmeric, floral coriander, granulated garlic and salt. Briefly sauteed in oil, the mix develops a captivating aroma – deep, meaty, savory. I love how it balances the fresh, penetrating flavours of lemongrass, makrut lime and ginger root.

Lastly, I added a pod of star anise to the pan with the spices. Although not typical to Thai cuisine, its subtle licorice-y sweetness pairs very well with the aromatics and spices and helps to round the flavours.

Other Ingredients:

Rice: I use white jasmine rice, boiled or steamed.

Egg: adds substance for a more filling meal.

Cilantro: essential to local cuisine, a few fresh leaves brighten up the bowl with their invigorating aroma.

Black Pepper: finish off with a few grinds of black pepper mill for some citrus-y heat.

Preparation Tips for Brothy Rice with Spiced Chicken and Thai Aromatics:

• Place the whole chicken into a large 5-litre pot filled with cold water and turn the heat to medium. You want to bring the water to boil slowly, so that there is enough time to remove the froth that will soon start forming on the surface. Take your time and keep removing the froth until there is no more. After that, cover the pot, turn the heat down to the lowest and leave to simmer for 2-2.5 hours.
• If I make a whole pot of broth, I like to keep it plain. When it’s ready, I divide it into a number of batches and refrigerate or freeze. Later on each batch can be infused with different flavourings, depending on what you feel like on a particular day. For this recipe, I poured about 1l of the broth into a smaller pot, added the Thai aromatics and gently simmered it for 20 minutes for the flavours to impart.
• You can also just use half a chicken or a few parts. In such case, reduce the amount of water to 1-1.5 litres and cook for 45-60 minutes. Pop the aromatics in half way through.
• In the meantime, cook the rice and boil the eggs.
• When the broth is ready, take the chicken out and let cool. Separate the meat from the bones and cut or shred into bite size pieces.
• If the broth is not very clean and has bits of froth in it, you may want to strain it through a fine mesh.
• To prepare the chicken, measure the ground spices and line them up. As a rule of thumb, I use equal parts of ginger, cumin, coriander and granulated garlic and 1/4 parts of turmeric and salt.
• Heat a little (1 tbsp) cooking oil in a small pan to medium high and pop in the star anise. Wait for a couple of minutes for the aroma to release, then add the spices and mix well. Add shredded chicken and move and turn around to coat.

Serving Suggestions for Brothy Rice:

Use a shallow-ish soup bowl so that you can showcase all of the components. If you have a small round dish, use it to create a rice dome – that instantly elevates the whole look! Tuck in pieces of chicken and two egg halves. Now slowly pour over the broth. Scatter over some chopped red chilies and cilantro leaves and take a moment to enjoy this pretty, fragrant bowl! You literally only have a moment because it will all be gone in no time 😀

Make sure to also try this Five Spice Chicken Ramen recipe – another fun way to dress up your usual chicken soup!

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