Tom yum goong

Name: Tom yum goong
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 2 litres water; 4 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut in 5 cm pieces; 2.5 cm piece of galangal, sliced; 10 makrut lime leaves, torn; 10 Thai chillies, bruised; 5 garlic cloves, bruised; 500 g raw peeled prawns; 300 g oyster mushrooms, torn; 2 tomatoes, in wedges; 2 small white onions, in wedges; About 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste; About 3 tbsp lime juice, to taste; A pinch of sugar, to taste; Coriander leaves; 3 tbsp Thai roasted chilli paste; 150 ml evaporated milk

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

Tom yum goong is a clear broth boiled with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and chillies, in which prawns, mushrooms and tomato are cooked for a couple of minutes; the seasoning of fish sauce and lime is added at the end, off the heat. It is hot and sour, and fast.

Tom yum goong is a celebrated soup of central Thailand.

One recipe boils the aromatics for 10 minutes in 2 litres of water and adds the prawns and mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes, seasoning to taste; the other makes a creamy version for two with 2 tsp of fish sauce, 2 tbsp of lime juice, roasted chilli sauce and evaporated milk.

Ingredients

For the soup

2 litres water
4 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut in 5 cm pieces
2.5 cm piece of galangal, sliced
10 makrut lime leaves, torn
10 Thai chillies, bruised
5 garlic cloves, bruised
500 g raw peeled prawns
300 g oyster mushrooms, torn
2 tomatoes, in wedges
2 small white onions, in wedges

To season

About 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
About 3 tbsp lime juice, to taste
A pinch of sugar, to taste
Coriander leaves

For the creamy version (optional)

3 tbsp Thai roasted chilli paste
150 ml evaporated milk

Method

Boil the aromatics Bring the water to the boil with the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, garlic and chillies and boil for 10 minutes.
Add the main ingredients Add the prawns, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the prawns are pink and opaque all through.
Season off the heat Take the pot off the heat. Add the fish sauce, a pinch of sugar and the lime juice, taste and adjust.
Serve Add the coriander and serve in bowls. The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are for flavour and are not eaten. For the creamy version stir in the chilli paste and evaporated milk at the end and adjust.

Food safety

Cook the prawns until pink and opaque all through. Keep raw prawns chilled. Thai chillies are very hot: wear gloves. Contains shellfish.

Add the lime off the heat; boiled lime turns bitter.

Do not boil the evaporated milk.

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