Tom yum goong

Tom yum goong
Tamarind gives the right piquant note to this
key Thai recipe for hot and sour prawn soup.
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil
1 tsp shrimp paste
2 bird’s eye chiles, finely chopped, and seeded
(if preferred)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp palm sugar
2 scallions, finely sliced
2oz (60g) shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsp tamarind paste, to taste
1 quart well-flavored fish stock
1 stalk lemongrass, halved
2in (5cm) piece galangal or fresh ginger, peeled and
finely sliced
a few kaffir lime leaves
1–2 tbsp Thai fish sauce, to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
1lb (450g) raw tiger prawns, peeled but tail intact, deveined and butterflied
squeeze of lime juice, to taste handful of roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the shrimp paste, and cook over low heat for 1–2 minutes
until aromatic. Add the chiles, garlic, palm sugar, scallions, and mushrooms; stir for 2 minutes.
Add the tamarind, stock, lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for
2–3 minutes. Season with fish sauce and add the sesame oil and prawns. Poach over low heat for
3–4 minutes or until the prawns are cooked. Add lime juice, or more tamarind, or fish sauce
to taste. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
Variation
Tom yum talay
Begin as above, adding 3 chiles, 1 tbsp palm sugar, 3 scallions, and 1 diced red bell pepper.
Omit the mushrooms. Add a 14oz (400g) can of coconut milk. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3
minutes. Add 2 cups of stock, the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves; omit the tamarind
and sesame oil. Simmer for a few minutes. Add 2–3 tbsp Thai fish sauce and 1lb (450g)
mixed seafood (add squid at the last minute), lime, and cilantro leaves.