Thailand is a country that produces some excellent cuisine. They have a masterful knowledge of how to combine sweet, sour and saltiness with piquancy of the Chilli, to provide an explosion of flavour. This dish is a great starter for a Thai theme meal evening or simply as a comforting pick me up on a cold winters night. To make the dish more substantial, simply add pieces of cooked chicken, which will readily absorb the wonderfully flavoured broth.
Ingredients
Chicken stock - 4 cups
Prawns - 8 to12 medium-sized shrimp, deveined, head and shell on.
Kaffir lime leaves- 4 to 6, roughly chopped
Fresh Lemongrass - 1stalk , cut into 1-2 inch pieces
Thai chilli paste - 3 to 4 tablespoons (optional) ** see note
Lime juice - ½ cup
Thai fish sauce - 3 tablespoons *** see note
Sugar - 1 to 2 teaspoons
Oyster mushrooms - 3 cups chopped into bite-sized pieces
Coriander /Cilantro - for garnish
Instructions
Combine chicken stock, galangal, lemongrass, chillies and kaffir lime leaves in a pot. Bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and allow to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal
Add the prawns and now turn off the heat. The residual heat from the boiled stock will cook the prawns. Allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes
Now add the lime juice, sugar, Chilli paste and fish sauce. Stir well
Garnish with coriander/ cilantro and serve immediately
Notes
* Whilst not exactly the same, galangal can be substituted by I teaspoon of fresh ginger This recipe yields 4 portions ** Thai name: Nam Pla *** Thai name: Nam Prik Pao
Shitake noodles can also be added . Follow package instructions