Weeknight
Tom yum kung pla muek
Hot and sour Thai soup with prawns and squid — lemongrass, galangal, lime and chilli in a broth that goes straight to your bones.
One of my favourite winter soups, and a fine starter. I make it with chicken stock — the original Thai version uses pork stock, which I have never seen sold in South Africa, and I'm not really a pork fan anyway. Lemon juice to taste, always. Fresh coriander, always.
Method
- 01
Bring the stock to a simmer with the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and chillies. Simmer 10 minutes to infuse.
- 02
Add the mushrooms, fish sauce, nam prik pao and sugar and simmer 3 minutes.
- 03
Add the prawns and cook 2 minutes, then the squid and cook 1 minute more. No longer — both go rubbery in seconds.
- 04
Take the pot off the heat. This matters: the lemon juice goes in off the heat or it turns bitter.
- 05
Stir in the lemon juice to taste, then check the balance — hot, sour, salty, barely sweet.
- 06
Ladle into bowls and bury the top in fresh coriander.
Keep cooking
