Chicken Wing Tom Yum Soup

This was something new to try for me.  I never order Tom Yum soup when at Thai restaurants but I was intrigued by this recipe because of the use of chicken wings.  We're in the middle of a snow storm here so I ordered in groceries.  I was so sad when the lemongrass didn't show up 😞.  I bought this new soup infuser so wanted to try it out.  This was perfect for it.  What I used today and by no means am I calling it "authentic", it was just my take on Tom Yum soup:

• 5 cups water seasoned with "Better than Bouillon" low-sodium chicken base
• 1½ pounds chicken wings, split
• ½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (I always use Red Boat)
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons tamarind chutney (sauce)
• 5 spicy dried Thai chilies, (I used 10, crushed lightly with mallet)
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bottom halves only, smashed and cut in 2-inch pieces (I had to sub with 1 sliced lemon)
• 10 thin slices galangal (I used ginger)
• 10 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, removed from stem and bruised by rubbing/tearing each leaf
• 1/4 lb oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
• 2 Kumato tomatoes, halved & sliced in 8ths on each side
• 2 limes, juiced with zest added
• Cilantro, chopped to taste for garnish
• Jasmine rice (I used a brown, red, whole grain blend of it), for serving

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the chicken, shallots, 3 tablespoons fish sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar. Turn down heat and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender, mine took 25 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, toast the chilies for smoky flavor. Place them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and shake pan every few minutes until they develop charred spots and smell smoky. Keep an eye on them as they burn quickly.  Once toasted, set aside.

When the chicken is tender, add soup infuser which includes the following:  the dried chilies (keep them whole for a milder soup, or break them up for a spicy soup), lemon, ginger, lime leaves.  Twist and tear the lime leaves to bruise them and release their aroma.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tamarind and mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes, or just until the tomatoes are soft but still hold their shape. Turn off the heat and stir in lime juice/zest.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice as needed.  I added one more teaspoon of sugar.  You want it to taste sour, spicy and salty. The sweetness is in the background, but should not dominate. Remove soup infuser.  Serve and garnish with cilantro and serve with jasmine rice. The meat should be fall off the bone tender...

...and it was.  WOW!  What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be; better than any I've had till now.  I have a newfound respect for Hot sweet & sour soup.  Next time I find lemongrass I will make this delight again.  I would probably make it the day before and see if I could take the fat off.  I did love the chicken wings though as they made an excellent broth.  If you want to actually see the tomatoes, cut into eighths  or even quarters for the whole tomato.  My son doesn't love them so I wanted them to go unnoticed for him.  This dish was on point and the balance was almost perfect.