Tom yum with prawns

25 min · serves 3

Roast the prawn heads and shells for the broth instead of throwing them out. Add the lime off the heat so it does not turn bitter.

Ingredients

• 300 g Prawns
• 150 g Straw mushrooms
• 3 stalks Lemongrass
• 20 g Galangal
• 6 leaves Kaffir lime leaves
• 4 chillies Bird's eye chillies
• 30 g Thai chilli jam
• 45 ml Fish sauce
• 45 ml Lime juice
• 60 ml Evaporated milk
• 10 g Coriander
• 800 ml Water

Method

1. Peel the prawns, keeping the heads and shells, and pull the dark vein from each back.
2. Dry-roast the heads and shells in the pot for 2 minutes until fragrant, add the water, simmer 10 minutes, then strain out the solids.
3. Bruise the lemongrass and cut it into lengths, slice the galangal, tear the lime leaves, add all of it to the broth and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add the halved mushrooms and the chilli jam and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Add the prawns and cook exactly 2 minutes until they curl and turn pink; any longer and they go rubbery.
6. Take the pot off the heat before adding the fish sauce, lime juice and crushed chillies, then taste and balance the sour against the salt.
7. Stir in the evaporated milk if you want the cloudy, richer version, and finish with coriander.

Tom yum with prawns →