i love making this soup. i save up the carcasses from 3 roast chickens at least - they freeze well while you're waiting fo each one and boil and then simmer these with about 6 litres of water, 6 sticks of lemon grass smashed with a stone or side of a knife, preferably a cleaver, if you have one, onion, garlic and ginger. if you're in a hurry and cannot wait for 3 weekends you could buy 12 chicken wings and use those instead. i simmer mine nearly all day. after that it's dead easy - strain the stock and then add julienned carrots, shredded cabbage, pakchoi, spinach or other mild tasting vegetables but especially you must add fresh coriander and spring onions and a few glugs of fish sauce at the end.
to make a meal out of this, you can add rice vermicelli and any thinly sliced meat - pork, chicken or beef or even prawns, squid, sliced mushrooms or tofu. serve in a bowl with a quarter piece of lime and some sliced chillies in light soya sauce on the side.
