Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง) – Thai Hot & Sour
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 10 - 12 large fresh shrimp
• 4 stalks lemongrass – white bulbous end only, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red onion – roughly chopped
• 2 inches of galangal – peeled and cut into thin slices*
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn and bruised lightly

• 6-8 oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, or button mushrooms – halved or quartered
• 2 tomatoes – cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
• 4-5 Thai bird’s eye chilies – smashed lightly
• 2-3 of dried Thai red chili peppers – broke into half
• 1-2 tbsp of Thai roasted chili paste called nam phrik phao (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp of fresh lime juice, or to taste
• A handful of fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Method:
Shrimp Broth -
1. Wash the shrimp well. Removed heads and shells, and place them in a large sauce pan or soup pot. Devein the shrimp, but don’t remove tail, then put them in bowl and keep in the refrigerator.
2. In the pan or pot that you placed the shrimp heads and shells, add in the water, two of the lemongrass stalks, two of the kaffir lime leaves, and half of the galangal. Bring it to a boil, while stirring occasionally. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Strain the stock, and discard the shrimp shells and heads, and spices (for more flavor, you can leave in the spices).

Tom Yum Goong Soup -
1. In the same pan or pot, bring the shrimp broth back to a boil. Add in the onion, and the remaining lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Boil for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down, and add in the mushrooms, Thai bird’s eye chili peppers, and dried red chili peppers. Simmer for a couple minutes until mushrooms are softened.
2. Toss in the shrimp meat (tails on) and tomatoes. Stir gently and simmer until the prawns firm up and the flesh turns opaque. Should not be more than two minutes. Add in the fish sauce and lime juice (and nam prik pao, if using). Stir and taste. Add in more fish sauce, lime juice and nam prik pao, if desired.
3. Turn the fire off and stir in the fresh cilantro leaves. Serve the soup piping hot with a bowl of steamed rice.