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Spicy & Sour Prawn Soup(Tom Yum Gung)

Serves 4

Ingredients12 river prawns (medium) 4 cup prawn stock

200 g straw mushroom 5 bird eye chilies2, 12 cm lemon grass stem

(exterior cracked)4 tbsp fish/soy sauce8 tbsp coconut cream

8 thin slices of galangal 4 tbsp lime juice3 small coriander root 3 coriander stems & leaf

4 kaffir lime leaves 2 tbsp shrimp paste

DirectionsPRAWN STOCK: Wash the prawns, clean them by removing the head and knifing out the guts in front of the body muscle and behind the eyes and placing this in a separate container for use in making shrimp paste, then remove the ecto skeleton (shell) [pull the legs off the belly and the shell removes up and over the back] then slice down the middle of the back to expose the food vein and remove it. Place the prawn shells in a large pot with the water. Heat to a boil then strain shells from the broth (stock).

SHRIMP PASTE: 2 tbsp oil in wok high heat to make oil very hot and turn off heat then add prawn guts to the oil and stir till it turns pink.

CLEAR SOUP: 1. Bring the stock to a boil in a pot over medium heat2. Add lemon grass, coriander root and galangal, stir bring to a boil add straw

mushroom for two minutes till aromatic.3. Add prawns to the soup when prawns turn pink add kaffir lime and broken birds

eye chili (break chili by pressing it or hitting it with the flat side of meat clever), over high heat stir and turn off heat.

4. Add the fish sauce or soy sauce, lime juice, and stir. 5. Pour the soup into a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaf and serve.

CREAMY SOUP: add 2 tbsp coconut milk in step two2. Add lemon grass, coriander root and galangal, stir bring to a boil add straw mushroom add coconut milk and the tom yum chili paste, stir for two minutes till cooked.