Thai hot and sour prawn soup
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
500 g (1
1
/
4
lb) raw, unpeeled,
large prawns
1.5 litres (2
1
/
2
pints) fish stock
4 lemon grass stalks
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely
chopped
6 Kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
100 g (3
1
/
2
oz) button
mushrooms, sliced
6 spring onions, sliced finely
2–4 small red chillies, de-seeded
and sliced finely
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
Salt
Method:
1. Peel the prawns and place their shells and
heads, if they have them, in a container with
the fish stock. Steam the stock for 7 minutes
at 100°C, and then strain the stock into a
container large enough to hold all the soup.
2. Remove the dry outer leaves of the lemon
grass, and cut the stalks into 2.5 cm (1“)
pieces. Bash them with a rolling pin to
release their flavour.
3. Add the lemon grass, garlic, Kaffir lime
leaves, Thai fish sauce and a generous pinch
of salt to the strained stock, and steam for
10 minutes at 100°C. Add the mushrooms,
spring onions and chillies, and steam for a
further 3 minutes at 100°C.
4. Meanwhile, using a small, sharp knife, make
a shallow cut along the back of each prawn
and remove the dark visceral vein.
5. Add the prawns and lime juice to the
container, and re-heat the soup for 1–2
minutes at 100°C until the prawns turn pink.
Season with salt and more lime juice if
required.
6. Remove the Kaffir lime leaves and lemon
grass. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander
and serve.
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