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Instructions:============= Pour the lime juice on the chicken and let
stand while you prepare the rest of the soup. In a medium saucepan, place
the coconut milk, lemon grass, grated lime peel, galanga or ginger, and
(optionally) chiles. (The optional part is that if you don't want the whole
dish to taste spicy, add the chiles later; the earlier you add them, the
hotter the resulting dish.) Bring the coconut milk to a simmer.

When the soup is simmering, add the lime-soaked chicken pieces and stir to
distribute them. Reduce the heat so the soup stays just below a boil and
cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or till the chicken pieces are finished cooking.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with fresh cilantro leaves for
garnish.

Now, the *best* way I ever had this soup was with pieces of fresh grouper
instead of chicken. I also added slices of kumquats instead of the ginger,
and used the sweet Fresno chiles instead of Thai birds. We also served it
over Vietnamese rice noodles. Was it southeast Asian or Caribbean? Who
cares, it was wonderful. If you can't find grouper, it'd be good with any
tender, delicate white fish -- sole, maybe, or a very fresh sea bass, or
maybe little chunks of monkfish. I believe I've had this with shrimp as
well. (Grouper, BTW, is a type of fish common in the Caribbean and, if I
recall, in other warm-water parts of the world; the flesh is very white,
very tender, and quite delicately flavored. I've seen it in one Asian
grocery store in the Bay Area, as well as in the Bahamas, so I'd guess that
Gulf Coast netters should be able to find it readily.)

Notes:====== 1. Galanga is similar to ginger, an edible rhizome available
in most Asian groceries. If not available fresh, you can usually find it
frozen. (Well, this is the SF Bay Area; if you can't find it at Tin Tin or
the New Castro Market, you have to have friends smuggle it in from Bangkok
for you... Other parts of the country may vary.)

2. Chile peppers add a lot to the dish; I've had it so hot that I could barely eat it, and I've had it completely smooth, sweet and mild. I like it in the middle.

3. Lemon grass adds a lot to the flavor and aroma, but as near as I can
tell it isn't edible unless you puree it. (If there's sufficient demand,
I'll print my recipe for Vietnamese turkey fajitas.) I just eat around the
slices of lemon grass and ginger.

Instructions:============= Heat the coconut milk in a pot. Add everything else. As the lemon grass is inedible, put it in a tea ball and immerse the ball in the soup so you can retrieve it later. Cook until the chicken is done and the soup is hot (30 minutes?). Taste to see if it needs more limes (it always does) or more hot peppers (it's better to start mild and build up to the desired level of spicyness).

In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat until a strip of won ton bounces across the surface. Add the won ton strips in batches and fry, turning, until crisp and golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels; drain well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar,
chiles, nutmeg, lemon grass, ginger, mint and basil. Add the dressing to
the salad and toss well. Gently fold in the crisp won ton strips. Turn out
onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the peanuts.