Year of the Rooster : What to Do With That Rooster

Americans are used to combining hot flavors with sweetness, as any sampling of barbecue sauces will prove. Mixing hot with sour just isn’t in our repertoire.

In many Asian countries, though, hot and sour is as popular a combination as hot and sweet is here. It will vary with the country, but Chinese, Korean and Thai cooks use citrus, tamarind, lemon grass or vinegar for a tart flavor with chiles or ginger root (or both together) for heat.

The combination may taste strange at first, but it can become addictive. The sour and fiery ingredients balance each other in a very refreshing sensation.

To my palate, soups best showcase the hot-and-sour blend. While well seasoned, these aren’t hit-you-over-the-head soups; instead they have a complex range of tastes. They begin with a clear broth that gives a little hint of the flavor burst to come.

Using supermarket ingredients, or fresh chicken stock if you have it, you can prepare a delicious Hot Lime-Chicken Soup. The following recipe borrows ingredients from Thai cuisine, along with Mexico’s jalapeno peppers. It isn’t meant to be authentic, just hot, sour and wonderful.

HOT LIME-CHICKEN SOUP 2 cups chicken broth 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices ginger root 1 jalapeno chile, cored, seeded and minced 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, white and green parts 2 tablespoons minced cilantro 1 teaspoon nam pla (fish sauce) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 boneless chicken breast, fat trimmed and meat cut into 1/2-inch dice Salt Freshly ground white pepper 1 cup cooked rice, preferably converted

Combine chicken broth, ginger root, jalapeno, green onions, 1 tablespoon cilantro, nam pla and 1 tablespoon lime juice in medium pan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Spoon out and discard ginger slices. Add remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Divide rice between 2 soup bowls. Ladle half of soup into each bowl. Sprinkle soup with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

Note: Nam pla, also called fish sauce, is a Thai condiment sold in many supermarkets and in specialty food stores; it may also be found under such names as nuoc mam (Vietnamese) and patis (Filipino). If not available, substitute 1 teaspoon soy sauce.