Indonesian Mee Soto Ayam

 

When i was working with a Government Board in Malaysia, I have many friends who were of Javanese descent and they have introduced me to their favorite Mee Soto Ayam. Although they called it Mee, it was actually Chicken soup with glass noodles(suon) and i have been served the alternative to glass noodle(suon) which was with rice cake(nasi impit).

The soup is very fragrant from the spices used and tumeric is responsible for the beautiful yellow hue of the chicken soup. Besides remembering the fragrant chicken soup, the begedil served together was to die for, my friends will always repeat this like a broken record - no begedil, no mee soto ayam.

Ingredients for Begedil (Potatoes Burgers)

1 lb  potato
1.2 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt
6 shallots or 1 small onion - chopped
2 eggs

Oil for frying

Method:

Preparing the Begedil

Peel and slice potato into 1/4 inch slices  and put in water to prevent oxidation.

Heat enough oil for deep frying.

Drain the potato slices and wipe dry before deep frying them.  Remove slices from oil when slices are fork tender.

Mash the cooked potato slices while they are hot.

Add the rest of the ingredients - beef, chopped shallots/onion, salt, pepper and 1 egg yolk leaving the white and the other egg for coating.  Knead ingredients until it can be made into mini burgers.

Beat the remaining egg white and egg together for coating.

Heat enough oil for shallow frying and when oil is hot, coat or dip mini burgers into the egg and put to shallow fry.  Do not move the burgers until it is golden brown on one side.  Flip the burgers and continue to fry the other side.  Remove and drain on kitchen towel.

Ingredients for the chicken soup:
A:

 1,5 liter water

1 chicken - cut into 8 portions
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 stalks green onion - cut into 1 inch lengths

3 stalks of lemongrass - top green removed and crushed

2 - 3 pieces of kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin

B:

Spices to be chopped or ground:

6 cloves garlic - peeled

3 pieces buah keras(candle nut)

1 piece fresh tumeric - 2 inches length

1 piece ginger - 1 inch length

1 piece galangal - 1 inch length

8 - 10 shallots - peeled

1 tsp salt

Accompaniments:

4 ozs suon - soaked in cold water and blanched in hot water
6 ozs bean sprouts - blanched in hot water and drained
2 hard-boiled eggs - cut into quarters
Begedil(recipe is at the top)
Chopped chinese celery
Lime wedges
Fried shallots
Fried garlic
Chopped thai chillies together with kicap manis(dark soya sauce)

Method:
To cook chicken soup:

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large soup pot and fry the ground spices B: until fragrant.  Add in the rest of ingredients of A:.  Bring to the boil and lower heat to simmer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove chicken and allow to cool.  Remove the cooked meat from the chicken as accompaniment and put back the chicken bones to continue cooking at simmer for another hour.

Drain soup through a large sieve and bring it back to the boil.  Adjust taste with salt before serving.

Assembling noodle for serving:

Put a little cooked suon at the bottom of soup bowl and top with bean sprouts.  Spoon enough hot chicken soup before topping with, a slice of hard boiled egg, shredded chicken, a little chopped chinese celery, fried shallots, fried garlic and a wedge of lime.

Enjoy with chopped thai chillies and kicap manis(dark soya sauce)