Tom Yum Gai / Goong (Hot and Sour Chicken / Prawns) two ways in the Thermomix TM31 or TM5

This fragrant and healthy, hot and sour Thai soup is deliciously simple and tasty, and what's more you can make it into a filling meal with the addition of rice or noodles

You can choose to take full advantage of the Varoma dish, and steam a whole chicken over a bowl of simmering stock which you then use for your soup base (using around half of a chicken to feed four people, giving you enough leftovers for another meal or two, plus a carcass for stock/broth), or you can use raw or pre-cooked chicken breast or thigh, weighed out to suit you, whilst steaming vegetables in the Varoma tray to add to your soup (if cooking a whole chicken, you do this whilst it rests).

You can also make this with prawns instead of chicken if you prefer, adding them right at the end to make Tom Yum Goong, the popular prawn version of the dish (you can even make the stock up from the prawn shells, cooking them in a little oil until pink, then adding a litre of water and simmering for 20 minutes before straining), or make a vegetarian version with vegetable stock.

A more recent version of the soup, Tom Yum Nam Khon involves adding some coconut milk to the finished broth (usually when making with prawns), and a small amount of toasted dried chillies, if you fancy something a bit creamier - just splash some in at the end - you could also use 100g creamed coconut, or to taste, whizzed in at the end to avoid diluting the soup unduly.

Serves four to six, from 206 calories per serving for a quarter portion (served between four) made with home made curry paste and chicken breast and vegetables as stated. Add on 165 calories per portion, per 50g raw rice. [Calories in square brackets].

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (1.3 to 1.6kg for TM31, or up to 2.0kg for TM5 - you will only need about half for this dish)

OR

• 400g skinless chicken breast and / or thigh meat (raw or cooked) [400g raw breast is 440 calories; 400g raw thigh is 644; 400g mixed skinless cooked steamed / roast meat is 668 calories]

(OR you could choose to use prawns instead and just add for the last few minutes)
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• 1 quantity of my easy home made Tom Yum paste (see here) [84]

OR

• 50-100g Tom Yum paste from a jar (I'm hesitant to recommend brands - we used a Tesco own brand to test it with, which was OK albeit not very authentic, there are various other brands - you'll have to check for allergens and add to your own tastes!) [56-112 calories]

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• 15g oil (e.g. coconut oil, sunflower, macadamia etc.) [135]

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• Stock paste / cube / concentrate to make up 800ml stock (don't make it up yet, or use 800ml stock / bone broth plus water, see method) [40]

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400g vegetables, e.g.

• 175g baby sweetcorn [42]
• 100g red bell pepper (one) [31]
• 125g green beens (e.g. French, fine etc.) [31]

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• 5-10g palm sugar (or other unrefined sugar) to taste [20-40]
• Fish sauce to taste (I use 2 tbsp) [14]
• Lime juice to taste (preferably fresh, I use 2 tbsp) [6]
• Handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped [2]
• Optional rice (200g raw for 4 people, e.g. Jasmine rice - 300g max - or use rice / beanthread / konjac noodles if you prefer, cooked separately and added to soup bowls when serving) [660]

Method 1
(Whole Chicken)

If making your own easy Tom Yum paste, as in the ingredients / method here, on the last 'whizz', add the 15g of oil, to incorporate it, then scrape down the sides and cook out the paste and oil for 5 minutes / Varoma Temperature / Speed 1 (you don't need to cook out paste from a jar of ready-made, as it is already cooked).

Scrape out the cooked Tom Yum paste (you don't need to be hugely thorough) and set to one side, to add back later on.

Add the chicken / vegetable stock paste / concentrate for making up 800ml stock and add 1 litre/1,000g cold water for TM31, or 1.2litres/1,200g for TM5 (if you are using your own home made stock / bone broth, add 800ml/g, and top up with water as appropriate to 1,000 / 1,200ml/g). Put on the lid.

Prepare the chicken by cutting off the lower leg joints (see here for my post on steaming whole chickens in the Varoma), add to the Varoma dish, set on top and cook 45/60 minutes / Varoma temperature / speed 2. Check internal temperature is 74C / 165F (if not, cook for longer) and pour any juices into the stock and set aside (or brown in a hot oven for 10 minutes if preferred). Boil the kettle, if possible just prior to the cooking time finishing.

Add the Tom Yum paste to the stock, along with 300ml/g hot water and blitz for 1 minute / Speed 10 / MC on, then add the palm sugar. If adding rice to the dish, balance a sieve on top of the thermomix, set the scales to zero, weigh in 240g (maximum 300g) and then rinse it under cold, running water and add straight to the bowl of stock. Cook 10 minutes / 100C / Reverse / Speed 1 / MC on (which is great if you *have* put the chicken in the oven for 10 minutes, as it tells you when to take it out!).

Meanwhile, chop up any vegetables as necessary (baby sweetcorn are fine whole, green beans I cut in half to make them more bite-size, peppers cut into strips, or bite-size diamonds etc., broccoli in half or quarters depending on the thickness of the stalk etc.), and chop up the coriander roughly and set aside.

Pile the veg roughly into the Varoma dish, making sure there are gaps for the steam to get in between. Remove the MC (measuring cup) and place the Varoma back on top, and cook for 8 minutes / Varoma temperature / Reverse / Speed 2.

Towards the end of cooking, you might like to remove some meat from the chicken for serving (we found half a chicken, if serving with rice / noodles was plenty), take off the skin, and cut into bitesize pieces, ready to serve. If serving with noodles, cook those.

When ready to serve, poor off the stock from the rice into a jug (you could use the internal steaming basket as a sieve, if you attach the spatula) and add fish sauce and lime juice to taste.

If serving rice or noodles, divide between the bowls, top with the vegetables and diced chicken, pour the stock into each bowl carefully, scatter with coriander and serve.

Method 2

(Raw / cooked, diced chicken meat, or prawns)

Take a large piece of greaseproof baking paper (double the width of the Varoma tray). Scrunch it up, wet it thoroughly under the tap, squeeze out any excess water and line the Varoma tray with half of it, allowing the other half to overhang for now.

Remove all visible fat from the raw chicken, and dice into large bite-size pieces. Dice cooked chicken into large bite-size pieces. Arrange the raw or cooked chicken (N.B. Not a mixture of raw and cooked!) onto the damp greaseproof paper, and fold the greaseproof paper which is overhanging over the top of the chicken, and tuck in to make a loose parcel.

If making your own easy Tom Yum paste, as in the ingredients / method here, on the last 'whizz', add the 15g of oil, to incorporate it, then scrape down the sides and cook out the paste and oil for 5 minutes / Varoma Temperature / Speed 1 (you don't need to cook out paste from a jar of ready-made, as it is already cooked). While the paste is cooking, chop up any vegetables as necessary (baby sweetcorn are fine whole, green beans I cut in half to make them more bite-size, peppers cut into strips, or bite-size diamonds etc., broccoli in half or quarters depending on the thickness of the stalk etc.), and chop up the coriander roughly and set aside.

Add the chicken / vegetable stock paste / concentrate for making up 800ml stock and add 1 litre/1,000g cold water for TM31, or 1.2litres/1,200g for TM5 (if you are using your own home made stock / bone broth, add 800ml/g, and top up with water as appropriate to 1,000 / 1,200ml/g) to the Tom Yum paste in the bowl (if using from a jar, just add it at this point). Blend for 1 minute at speed 10 to ensure the paste is incorporated smoothly. Add the palm sugar and if using rice, insert the internal basket, and weigh in 200g (maximum 300g) then put on the lid and MC. Rinse the rice, 1 minute / Speed 5, then make sure it is sitting evenly in the basket.

Pile the veg roughly into the Varoma dish, making sure there are gaps for the steam to get in between. If using raw chicken, place the Varoma tray above the dish, and put the Varoma lid on. Place the Varoma on top, and cook for 20 minutes / Varoma temperature / Speed 3. If using cooked chicken (or large prawns), place on top for the last 5 minutes to heat through (if you're like me, set the timer for 15 minutes, then an extra five when you add the cooked chicken!). If you're serving with rice noodles etc., put these on in a separate pan or bowl for the last five minutes / according to the instructions too.

One the timer is up, set the Varoma aside, remove the rice basket and set aside, and taste the broth. Add fish sauce and fresh lime juice to taste and stir in (if anything seems too salty, remember you can just add extra hot water) until you're happy with the balance of flavours.

If serving rice or noodles, divide between the bowls, top with the vegetables and diced chicken, pour the stock into each bowl carefully, scatter with coriander and serve. Enjoy!