Tom Yam Soup

INGREDIENTS (serves 12)

 

2 litres fish or  vegetable stock (or chicken if you are making this for omnivores!)
300ml water

300ml coconut milk
5 sticks lemongrass, lightly crushed
8 fresh coriander roots, crushed
220g fresh galangal, peeled and sliced (available from Asian supermarkets)
12 pomodorino tomatoes, cut into quarters, seeds removed

3 generous handfuls of Shitake or Oyster Mushrooms, thinly sliced
10 kaffir lime leaves
3 to 4  limes, juice only
3 tablespoons of tamarind paste

4 red chillies, thinly sliced
150ml fish sauce (nam pla), or to taste
150g palm sugar (or brown sugar if unavailable)
3 raw tiger prawns per serving,  shelled, gutted and split in half
 
To serve
fresh coriander leaves
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Place the stock and water into a large pan over a high heat and bring to the boil.
Add the lemongrass, coriander roots, galangal, tomatoes, lime leaves, lime juice, tamarind water and red chillies. Return to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Taste the stock and add as much fish sauce and palm sugar as necessary to keep the salty-sour-hot-sweet taste, then remove from the heat.
Add the prawns and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, or until prawns are completely cooked through.
Add the coconut milk and turn off the heat.

To serve, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with finely chopped coriander and a wedge of lime.