Samlor Nam Ngau

After the mission team left from Siem Reap in December, they left Stephanie to stay with me a few extra days.  Yay!!  On the drive back to Phnom Penh, Peter and Kandi took us to a restaurant for lunch that I had been in before and thought was... ok.

However this time it was much different.  

I was pretty sick and Stephanie wasn't feeling too well either.  Both of us thought soup sounded good.  When looking at the menu Stephanie immediately said she wanted 'chicken with preserved lemon soup'.

I may or may not have stared blankly at her.

But, in my normal fashion I said, 'ok but I also want the vegetable soup.'  In my mind I was thinking at least I would be able eat half of the vegetable soup if neither of us liked the other soup.

The soup came, it didn't look too appealing... yellow-ish broth with chicken on the bone sitting inside.  Nothing else.  But I am very thankful I decided to forgo the look and still try a bite.  IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!!! We barely touched the vegetable soup and devoured this one.  And, later that night we were both disappointed when we didn't take some of that soup as take-away.  

Seriously, I can't stop thinking about that soup to this day.  That amazing.

I've tried to find preserved lemon soup that would compair here in Phnom Penh however I'm probably not looking in the right places because I've yet to find it.  I did a Google search and found a recipe for it.  I haven't made it yet, and with how lazy of a cook I am here I may not make it for a while, however I wanted to share the recipe with you in case you want to attempt to make it and then tell me about it.

Samlor Nam Ngau

Chicken with Preserved Lemon Soup

1/2 Chicken (cut up to 8 pieces) (or pork or beef or duck)
1 Preserved lemon (cut in half)
5 cups Water
2 cloves Garlic (do not peel)
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Yellow onion (sliced)
1 stalk  Green onion (chopped)
Black pepper

In a soup pot, place chicken, yellow onion, preserved lemon, garlic and pour water in. Cook till the meat is tender to your liking.  Season with sugar, salt and fish sauce.  Sprinkle green onion and black pepper.

Serve hot with rice.

One thing I learned is to trust Stephanie's culinary expertise.  I mean her brother is a pretty renowned chef.  Why did I even question her to begin with??