Tom Yum Goong (Thai soup with prawns)

Always fun to try something new!

This recipe, our finale to Soup Week 2009, is spicy and mysterious. A grown-up version of an old favorite, the ubiquitous Ramen noodle bowl. Except this is nothing like that over-dried, over-salted mess, with its powdered “flavor” packet.

Tom Yum Goong is a traditional Thai dish, made with hot and “sour” flavors like lime, lemongrass, crushed chilies (my favorite!) and coriander.It’s one of the most popular dishes in Thailand, apparently! That’s what I loved about Asian cuisine; the mastery of combining spicy, salty, sweet and sour into a single flavorful dish.

This is just simply wonderful.

You start with a bowl.  Add garlic and onion, and saute until they relinquish an intoxicating aroma. Add prawns, make golden. Gems of gold and green, fresh snappy vegetables and citrus. Lace through with threads of chewy rice noodles. Flavor with lemon, curry, mint. Inhale and feel completely at peace…until the spice hits your throat.

Ah. Bliss.

Traditionally you would use a bit of fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and probably omit the noodles. It’s meant to be a semi-clear brothy fish soup with some vegetables. Light and complex.

This is my own version of Tom Yum – a slightly modified style from the original. I’m currently fixated on this gigantic jar of red curry paste (purchased for £1!) and attempting to find ways to incorporate it in everything. Stirring in a spoonful was an experiment with happy results. The late addition of frozen white corn, in addition to the baby corn, helped cut through the heat with little bits of sweetness. I quite like the effect.

I also used lemon (rather than lime) and frozen pre-cooked shrimp (rather than fresh) because that’s what we had in the kitchen. Of course, you’re welcome to use either.

Tom Yum Goong, for two

Ingredients:

1 large clove garlic, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced thinly

2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil (or similar)

10 small prawns, cleaned and de-veined

4-5 each baby corn and snow peas

zest and juice from one lemon or lime

2 cups/500 ml vegetable broth

2 handfuls of pre-cooked rice vermicelli

2-3 tbsp frozen white corn kernels

1/2 tablespoon red curry paste (or 1/4 tbsp, if you don’t prefer your food so hot)

Optional: a few leaves of shredded mint and/or coriander, to garnish

Directions:

In a big pot, heat the oil until it sizzles. Add garlic and stir, careful not to burn. Add onions and sweat until soft. Add prawns and saute just a moment until they take on color. This step is to flavor the prawns before fully cooking in the broth.

Squeeze in juice from one lemon. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add baby corn, snow peas and white corn kernels. Stir in red curry paste and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Simmer for four or five minutes, then garnish with shredded mint and coriander. Serve piping hot.