Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup with Sizzled Black Pepper (from "The Cook You Want to Be")

From "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani.

Ingredients

Serves 4:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
• Kosher salt
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped ginger ½ cup jasmine rice, rinsed 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or as needed

Instructions

Bear with me here, as I'm about to tell you to rip the skin off those chicken thighs. But first, pat the chicken thighs dry, so it's easier to grip the skin. Peel the skin off each thigh and lay it flat on the bottom of a heavy pot. (Set the naked thighs aside for the soup.) Pour the neutral oil over the chicken skin.

Set the pot over medium heat and allow the chicken skin to gently release some of its fat and shrivel up, 3 to 5 minutes. Continue to cook, flipping occasionally, until the skin is crisp all around and golden brown, another 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken skin to a small bowl, leaving the fat behind. Season the skins with a bit of salt while still hot.

In a medium bowl, combine the scallions and pepper, then carefully tilt the pot with the chicken fat over the scallions and pepper. They will immediately sizzle and the scallions will wilt. Season with salt and stir. Set aside.

Return the pot to the stove and drop in the garlic, ginger, reserved chicken thighs, and rice. Pour in the water, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and turn the heat to medium-low. Gently simmer the soup, skimming off any foam that accumulates on the surface, and stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is very tender and has thickened the soup to an almost creamy consistency, 25 to 30 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the chicken thighs and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred the meat with your fingers or two forks and then return to the pot. Pour in the lemon juice and taste. It should be very chicken-y, with bites of ginger and some brightness. Adjust with salt and more lemon juice, if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon some of the scallion oil on top. Use your fingers to crush and scatter the crispy chicken skin over the top for the grand finale before serving.

Other author notes

If you're under the weather, with one sip of this soup you'll feel instantly better (or at least fool yourself into thinking that). The broth is flavored simply with chicken, ginger, and plenty of garlic, and the starch from the rice thickens the soup, giving it a creamy consistency without cream. The healthy amount of pepper will open up your sinuses. It's also topped with crispy chicken skin, which is what you really need on a sick day. I think the soup is beyond perfect as-is, but if you're a meddler, go ahead and throw in a handful of greens, a jammy egg. sliced sweet potato, or that jalapeño that's getting wrinkly in the produce drawer. Make this recipe your own.