Malaysian Condiment Soup
Rice Cubes (recipe follows)
Fried onions (recipe follows)
Beef and potato meatballs (recipe follows)
Chile-soy sauce (recipe follows)
1 frying chicken, cut up
1 ts minced ginger
1 large onion, chopped
2 ts ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick (3” long)
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb bean sprouts
1 cup chopped celery leaves
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
Prepare rice cubes, fried onion, meatballs and chile-soy sauce. Set aside.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Set breast pieces aside; place remaining chicken in a 6-8 qt pan and add ginger, onion, coriander, cinnamon stick, garlic and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Add chicken breast pieces; cover and simmer until meat near thighbone is no longer pink when slashed (20-25 more minutes). Lift out chicken and let cool. Discard skin and bones; cut meat into bite sized pieces and set aside.
Skim and discard fat from stock. Heat stock until steaming. Meanwhile, wrap chicken and meatballs in separate foil packets; set in 350° oven until heated through (about 20 minutes).
Rice Cubes: In a 2 qt pan, combine 1 1/2 cups short grain (pearl) rice and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Turn hot rice into a 9” square pan; with the back of a spoon, press firmly into an even layer. Let cool. Run a knife around the edge of the pan; turn rice out onto a board. With a wet knife, cut into 1” cubes. Serve at room temperature.
Fried Onions: Thinly slice 3 large onions. In a wide frying pan, heat 1/2 inch salad oil to 350°. Cook a third of the onions at a time, turning until golden (about 5 minutes). Lift out; drain. If made ahead, store covered, at room temperature until the next day.
Beef and potato meatballs: Combine 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 cup peeled shredded raw potato, 1 egg, beaten, 1 1/2 ts curry powder, 1/2 ts salt and 1/4 ts pepper. Mix until well blended. Shape into 1” balls. Pour salad oil into pan used for onions to a 1” depth. Heat to 350°. Beat 1 egg with 2 tb water.
Dip meatballs, a few at a time, into egg mixture; drain briefly, then lower into oil. Cook, turning, until browned on all sides (about 3 minutes). Lift out and drain. If made ahead, let cool; cover and refrigerate until the next day.
Chile-soy sauce: Stir together 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tb white wine vinegar and 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles.
Serve soup with rice cubes, onions, meatballs, chicken, chile sauce, bean sprouts, celery leaves and radishes on the side.
