Doldrums

I suppose it was inevitable that I would fall off the blistering bogging pace I set in January. Chalk it up to the winter doldrums, plus the bout of food poisoning that hit me after a weekend trip to Montreal (picked up, I’m embarrassed to say, from a rare and ill-advised rendezvous with the golden arches) or maybe the fact that I’ve been living on mostly quick, boring recipes that I haven’t deemed worth sharing. So yes, I have fallen off the pace a bit here.

I wish I could say I had something super fresh and new in store today, but, nope: just more soup. In fact, it’s another curry soup, so I’ll forgive you a sense of déjà vu from my last post. That said, it’s a damn good soup, a Thai-inspired curry soup given a bit of a twist with the addition of dried New Mexican chilis to add a hint of smokiness and complexity to what is a rich and silky concoction. Give it a try while I try to find something to eat that’s not soup.

Chicken Khao Soi (from Bon Appetit)

Spice paste:

4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded

2 medium shallots, halved

8 garlic cloves

1 2" piece ginger, peeled, sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved lengthwise

1 pound Chinese egg noodles

3 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

1 tablespoon (packed) palm sugar or light brown sugar

Kosher salt

Accompaniments:

Sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, crispy fried onions or shallots, chili oil, and lime wedges.

For the khao soi paste:

Place chilis in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25-30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chilis, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons soaking liquid in a food processor, adding more soaking liquid by the tablespoon until smooth.

For soup:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add khao soi paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide noodles among bowls, add soup and top with your choice of accompaniment.