Tom Yam Goong

Serves 4

• 300g (10¾ oz) prawns – washed, peeled and deveined (NB keep the peelings)
• 750ml (3 cups, 24 fl oz) water
• 2 stalks of lemongrass – lower third only, sliced into 3cm (1 inch) pieces
• 5 kaffir lime leaves – torn into pieces discarding the stem
• 3 shallots – sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic – crushed
• 2 tomatoes – each one cut into 8 pieces
• 5 thin slices of ginza – skin removed
• 300g (3 cups, 10¾ oz) straw mushrooms – cut in half
• 20 small, green chillies – cut in half lengthways
• 45ml (3 tbsp) fish sauce
• 30ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
• coriander – chopped

Put the peelings in a pan with the water and bring to the boil. Strain the stock, discarding the peelings. (I also added the heads – they make the stock a bit tastier.)

Bring the stock back to the boil and add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and ginza and bring to the boil. Then add the mushrooms and bring back to the boil and then add the chillies and fish sauce. Cook gently for 2 minutes, add the prawns and reheat to boiling.

When the prawns are cooked turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve garnished with the coriander.

Note

If you do not have fresh prawns use chicken stock or plain water for the stock.

This can also be made using chicken, pork, fish, mixed seafood or tofu instead of prawns. If you use chicken or pork, the meat should be added before the mushrooms.

If you do not want it to be too spicy, leave the chillies whole.