Hot and Sour Prawn Soup (Tom Yaam Goong)

Soup is a very significant part of Thai's daily fare and consequently the cuisine boasts some of the most palate-pleasing flavors to be found anywhere.A bowl is served at almost every meal,re gardless of the time of day,and is placed on the table alongside the other dishes to bo enjoyed the little at a time,as and when each dinner chooses.Most are clear,light and certainly by Western standards,highly spiced.But without doubt the most famous soup (and perhaps where most foreigners are concerned,the best known of all Thai dishes)is "Tom Yaam Goong",a prawn soup,flavoured with many local favourites such as lemon grass,chillies,Siameese ginger,coriander,basil leaves and fish sauce. While manycooks will have their own ideas about speacific quantities,and the flavour may differ a little from one home to another,the unique"hot and sour"quality of the soup will be ever-present.

Ingredients

(Serving for 4)

• 10 raw medium prawns,shelled and deveined or 4 jumbo prawns(4-6 per pound)
• 2 cup fresh Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon Spicy Chilli Oil for Hot and Sour Soup
• 8 medium button mushrooms
• 3-4 inch piece lemon grass,crushed
• 1 whole kaffir lime leaf or 3 lime leaves (optional)
• 2 springs coriander,lightly chopped
• 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice

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Method

• Using a large strainer to hold a prawms,parboil for 3 seconds until they turn pink on on the edges.Donot over-cook (the cooking process will be compleated later).Drain well and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan bring the Chicken Stock,fish sauce,Spicy Chilli over high heat.
• Turn off the heat and add the prawns,coriander and lime juice.Stir and serve immediatly.

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