Tom Yum Goong recipe

Also known as Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp, is this week’s Seafood Sundays feature.

Lemongrass carries an aromatic citrusy scent that, along with the kaffir lime leaves, balances the heat of the roasted chili paste in this signature Thai dish.

Ingredients:

375 g large shrimp (prawns) in the shell
2 tbsps vegetable oil
4 lemongrass stalks, tender midsection only, smashed and cut into 2-inch lengths
6 slices fresh galangal or 3 slices dried galangal
6 green Thai chilis or 8 green serrano chilis, cut in half crosswise
6 cups chicken stock
8 kaffir lime leaves, spines removed
1-2 tbsps roasted chili paste, or to taste
1 cup drained canned straw mushrooms
4-inch piece bamboo shoot, thinly sliced
3 tbsps fish sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 fresh red chili, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Directions:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells. Rinse the shrimp and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp shells and fry them, stirring, until they turn bright orange, about 1 minute. Toss in the lemongrass, galangal, green chilis, chicken stock, and 4 of the lime leaves. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes to develop the flavors. Remove from the heat and pour the stock through a sieve placed over a clean saucepan. Discard the contents of the sieve.
3. Add the chili paste, straw mushrooms, and sliced bamboo shoot to the saucepan, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it is boiling, add the shrimp and the remaining 4 lime leaves and cook until the shrimp turn bright orange pink, 1-2 minutes. Season with the fish sauce and lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the red chili slices and coriander leaves.

Happy cooking!

Source: Savouring Southeast Asia by Joyce Jue