Another great tasting,dish! It is a soup, but served as a one dish meal. Has a peppery flavour!

Sotoh Ayam
(Chicken Soup)
Courtesy of Monique <moniclassylady@hotmail.com>

ABOUT 7 Tbsp. Corn oil (4 tbsp to fry shallots)
15 red shallots, fried in oil till light brown and crispy, drain

(This can be made in advance, once drained it should be crispy, and can be stored in a air tight jar and kept in the fridge). I make lots of it and use it to garnish soups, and noodles. Or just serve with what ever takes my fancy!!

6 cloves garlic, chopped (if you don`t care for garlic, use only 2-4 cloves), fried golden brown and drained
2 x 1 inch piece galingale, sliced
2 star anise, broken into segments, 2 segments, powdered
14 cloves
1/2 nutmeg, remove shell and powdered
25 white pepper corns, ground fine or 1 1/4 tsp good quality white pepper powder
2 Tbsp.Sugar (optional)
2 Tbsp.salt or to taste.
4 1/2lbs.whole chicken,cut into half.
25 Cups water.About 12 Imperial.Pints.
2 chicken bouillon cubes(or fresh chicken stock,if you have it)I
have this handy all the time,make it when ever I have bones and scraps
of
chicken,and boil till concentrated,put into ice trays and freeze,remove
and
place in freezer bags)
2 lbs. mung bean sprouts,tailed,and scalded.
5 Cups Compressed Rice Cakes.(usually cut into 1/2 inch cubes,but I find
smaller 1/4 inch cubes absorb more of the flavours.)
2 stalks spring onions,chopped.
1 stalk Celery,chopped.
Cutlets.A must have for this dish:-
8 ozs.minced topside.(you could use lamb as a substitute)
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes,boiled,peeled and mashed.
1 1/4 tsp salt.
1/3 tsp. pepper.
1/4 tsp.powdered nutmeg.
1 large, beaten.
2 Cups.oil for deep frying.

Knead all the cutlet ingredients together.Mould into patties,and fry
till
golden.Cool and cut into 4 pieces.
Method for making soup:-
Bring water to boil.Fry galingal star anise and cloves till
aromatic.Drain.When water is boiling put in fried whole spices,with
nutmeg
powder,pepper powder,and salt.
Bring to rapid boil and put in chicken halves and cook over moderate
flame
for 20 mins.
Remove chicken,plunge into cold water for a few minutes.Separate meat
from
bones put bones back into soup.Shred chicken meat.
Add chicken bouillon cubes,or concentrated stock cubes with a third of
the
fried shallots.Boil for 10 mins then taste and season, with sugar and
salt
as desired.Strain soup, put back in pot and boil.
To Serve:-
Place 1/2 cup of rice cubes into each bowl.Top with shredded chicken and
bean sprouts.Pour ladles of soup into bowl,enough to
fill bowl 3/4 way up.Garnish with fried shallots and garlic,chopped
spring
onions and celery.Add a few pieces of cutlet to each bowl.Send to table
at
once.Serve extra pepper on the side.
Serves 8 to 10 persons
Takes about 1 hour to prepare eve less if you prepare what you can
ahead.Cutlets can be made a day before and kept in the fridge.

4 lbs.Live Mud Crabs

(If you can get them. If not perhaps frozen uncooked hard-shell crabs could be used.) I stick the live crabs, plastic bag and all, in the freezer and leave them there, till they stop moving.) Clean crabs and break into 6 segments. Crack hard claw shells, slightly, so they
can absorb the flavours.

1/2 Cup cooking oil
1 inch of ginger, shredded finely
6 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 Tbsp.Preserved soya beans, pounded or if you can get the ground variety
2 tbsp.Light soy sauce
2 to 4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp.More or less to your taste, ground chilli paste
1/2 Cup.Tomato Ketchup/Sauce
1 1/2 Cups Water
2 Eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 Tbsp.Tapioca Flour, blended with 6 Tbsp.water (If you use cornflour you may need about 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. (Tapioca flour gives a thicker consistency)
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Heat a large Wok, add oil and fry shredded garlic till half cooked, add garlic and fry till crispy, then add chilli paste, preserved soya bean paste fry for 2 mins. Mix together, in a bowl, soy sauce, sugar, tomato ketchup/sauce. Mix and pour into wok cook 2 mins. Add crabs and stir briskly, add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook for about 2 minutes or until crabs change colour. Uncover, and stir briskly once more, and add remaining water. After 5 mins, add beaten eggs, stirring briskly with the sauce and crabs. Crabs should be a very bright red by now, and flour paste to thicken. (Sauce should be thick but not dry.) Dish out on to a large platter, garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Serve at once, with slices of crusty French Bread.

Note: Forget table manners and just tuck in using your fingers! Use french bread to sop up the thick gravy and enjoy!!!! This is truly a delectable dish,and worth the try if you like, these flavours! Scrumptious!