Soups Recipes - Hot and Sour Prawn Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb raw king prawns (jumbo shrimp), thawed if frozen

• 1 liters/4 cups chicken stock or water

• 3 lemon grass stalks, root trimmed

• 10 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half

• 225g/8oz can straw mushrooms

• 45ml/3 tbsp fish sauce

• 60ml/4 tbsp lime juice

• 30ml/2 tbsp chopped spring onion (scallion)

• 15ml/1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

• 4 fresh red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced

• salt and ground black pepper

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Shell the prawns, putting the shells in a colander. Devein the prawns and set them aside on a plate.

2. Rinse the shells under cold water; then put in a large pan with the stock or water. Bring to the boil.

3. Bruise the lemon grass stalks and add them to the stock with half the kaffir lime leaves. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes, until the stock is fragrant.

4. Strain the stock, return it to the clean pan and reheat. Add the drained mushrooms and the prawns, then cook until the prawns turn pink.

5. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, chopped spring onion, fresh coriander; chilies and the remaining kaffir lime leaves.

6. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. The soup should be sour; salty; spicy and hot.

Note: This is a classic seafood soup, combining sour, salty, spicy and hot flavors. Variations on the theme are enjoyed throughout Asia.

Cook's tip: Be sure to buy uncooked prawns (shrimp) in the shell.