ENTERTAIN
RECIPE : TOM YUM ( TOM YUM GOONG )
Ingredients :
2 1 / 2 cups shrimp stock ( best ), canned chicken stock , or water 10-12 shrimp or 8 oz ( head-on and shell-on but chop the eyes part off , devein if you like ) 3 1 / 2 tablespoons lime juice 6 bird ’ s eyes chilies ( pounded ) 3 ( big ) slices galangal 6 kaffir lime leaves ( bruised ) 2 tablespoons nam prik pao ( Thai roasted chili paste ) 2 tablespoons oil of nam prik pao 3 teaspoons fish sauce 1 stalk lemongrass ( cut into 3-inch strips , pounded with a cleaver ) 6 canned straw mushrooms / fresh oyster mushrooms / fresh or canned button mushrooms
Method :
In a pot , bring 3 cups of water to boil . Then add a big handful of shrimp / prawn heads . Boil the shrimp head until the water turns slightly orange in color . Press the shrimp heads with spatula to extract the “ goodies ” from their heads . Let the stock reduce to slightly more than 2 1 / 2 cups . Drain the shrimp stock and discard the shrimp heads .
Add lemongrass , galangal , kaffir lime leaves , bird ’ s eye chilies , mushrooms , nam prik bao to the shrimp stock and bring it to boil . Add in the shrimp and fish sauce . Lastly , add the lime juice ( if you add lime juice too early , the soup might turn bitter ). Boil until the shrimps are cooked , dish out and serve hot .
23