Bangkok-based food writer and photographer Austin Bush (www.realthai.blogspot.com) says this is the best way to make this most famous of Thai soups—tom yam soup with shrimp. “You'll probably never see a measuring spoon in a Thai kitchen because Thai people cook by feel and taste, adding ingredients and tasting continuously until they reach a flavor they like. Try it, it works.”—Austin Bush.
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Ingredients:
Fresh shrimp (shells and all, not just shrimp meat) 10 or so depending on size
4 cups water
Galangal, a thumb-sized piece, peeled and chopped into big disks
3-4 stalks lemongrass, outer layer removed and bruised
6 shallots, peeled
4 coriander (cilantro) roots, cleaned well
Fish sauce, to taste
Sugar (if desired), to taste
6 straw mushrooms, quartered
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
6 sawtooth coriander leaves, thinly sliced
Chilies, to taste, roughly chopped and pressed with the side of a knife.
2-3 limes, depending on how sour you like your food
3 kaffir lime leaves, halved
Directions:
Wash, behead, and peel the shrimp, reserving the shells and heads. Devein shrimp, butterfly (if desired) and set aside in the fridge. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add shrimp shells and heads. When water reaches a boil again, stir, and push on the shrimp shells to extract as much shrimp flavor as possible. Simmer for about five minutes. Strain and discard shrimp shells, reserving water.
In the same saucepan, bring shrimp broth to a boil again and add galangal, lemongrass, shallots, and coriander roots. Allow to reach a slight boil, then simmer. Add a few drops of Thai fish sauce until the broth tastes slightly salty. Sugar is optional; if you like it, add now to taste.
After about three to four minutes, when your broth is fragrant, add prawns, mushrooms, and tomatoes. After another two to three minutes, when mushrooms are slightly soft and prawns done, squeeze in the lime juice and add the lime leaves. Taste. Add more fish sauce (or sugar) if necessary, plus the chilies and sawtooth coriander.
Servings: Serves two
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