Soto Ayam Madura: Madurese Chicken Soup

Method13 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the sliced potato (1) in a bowl and cover with enough water to prevent oxidation. Set aside.

   Uses 1 medium potato, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced · Water to cover potato slices (quantity unspecified; drain before frying)

2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare the quartered chicken (1 medium) and set aside; do not wash raw chicken.

   Uses 1 medium whole chicken (approximately 1 kg), cut into 4 parts

3. 3

   Step 3: Using a food processor, blend into a fine paste: garlic (7 cloves), ginger (3 cm), turmeric (3 cm) and candlenuts (4). Set aside.

   Uses 7 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped · 3 cm ginger, peeled, chopped · 3 cm turmeric, peeled, chopped · 4 candlenuts, chopped

4. 4

   Step 4: In a cooking pot, boil the water (1 l) over high heat. When it’s boiling, lower the heat to medium and add the chicken.

   Uses 1 l water · prepared quartered chicken

5. 5

   Step 5: Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan and sauté the blended spices for about 4 minutes until fragrant.

   Fry Soto Madura spice paste · 4 minUses 2 tbsp cooking oil for frying spice paste · Soto Madura spice paste

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the sautéed spices to the pot with the chicken.

   Uses chicken in hot broth · fried Soto Madura spice paste

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the lemongrass (2 stalks), kaffir lime leaves (4), salt (to taste) and white pepper powder (0.5 tsp).

   Uses chicken broth with fried spice paste · 2 stalks lemongrass, use only the white parts, bruised and knotted · 4 kaffir lime leaves · Salt to taste · 0.5 tsp white pepper powder

8. 8

   Step 8: Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 74°C (165°F) in its thickest part.

   Simmer soup · 30 minUses seasoned chicken soup

9. 9

   Step 9: Lift the cooked chicken out of the soup and reserve the hot broth for serving.

   Uses cooked chicken and soup broth

10. 10

    Step 10: Before serving, deep-fry the cooked chicken until golden, then shred it.

    Uses cooked chicken removed from broth · Oil for deep-frying cooked chicken, as needed

11. 11

    Step 11: Drain the soaked potato slices and dry them thoroughly. Fry in cooking oil until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes, then drain.

    Fry potato crisps · 4 minUses soaked potato slices · Oil for deep-frying potato slices, as needed

12. 12

    Step 12: Divide the cooked vermicelli, blanched bean sprouts, shredded chicken and homemade potato crisps among 4 bowls. Sprinkle the sliced celery (1) and spring onion (1) on top.

    Uses 50 g vermicelli noodles, cooked following packet directions · 100 g bean sprouts, briefly blanched in boiling water · fried shredded chicken · fried potato crisps · 1 small celery, sliced · 1 spring onion, sliced

13. 13

    Step 13: Divide the 2 hard-boiled eggs among the bowls, half an egg per serving. Add ready-made perkedel kentang if available, pour in the reserved hot broth and serve. Present sambal soto, lime (1) quarters and sweet soy sauce (to taste) on the table for seasoning as desired.

    Uses assembled Soto Madura bowls · reserved chicken broth · 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved or quartered · Ready-made perkedel kentang, to serve (optional; quantity unspecified) · Sweet soy sauce, to taste · 1 lime, quartered · Sambal soto