作法
- 把一半椰漿與全部高湯倒入厚底鍋中。加入南薑、香茅與撕碎的萊姆葉。以中小火慢煮——絕不大滾，否則椰漿會分離、香氣變鈍。
- 慢煮十分鐘讓湯變香、顏色淡白。南薑的松木藥香應充滿廚房，立刻能與薑區別。
- 加入雞肉與壓碎的辣椒。輕燉六分鐘——雞肉應變白嫩，不應變硬。
- 加入菇類與剩餘椰漿。回到剛微滾煮三分鐘；湯轉成象牙色並有了濃度。
- 以魚露與椰糖調味。試味——湯應綿密、鹹香，後段帶慢辣。離火。
- 離火後拌入萊姆汁（高溫破壞香氣）。盛入碗中，香茅與南薑留在鍋裡——它們不食用。撒上香菜，配茉莉香米飯享用。
Common questions
Can 椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） be made ahead?
椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 25 minutes.
Is 椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） spicy?
椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is 椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is naturally gluten-free as written.
How hard is 椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） to make at home?
椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 35 minutes, no special technique required.
Can 椰汁雞湯（Tom Kha Gai） be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
若冬蔭功是熱鬧的表親，椰汁雞湯就是溫柔的那位。兩者共享泰式香料三劍客——南薑、香茅、卡菲爾萊姆——但椰汁雞湯靠椰漿賦予濃郁感，並把辣味壓低。它是給客人、孩童、不適者喝的湯。碗裡的南薑片與香茅段是調味的證據，禮儀上是把它們撥到一邊，而非夾出來丟掉。
