Tom Yam recipe

I made tom yam soup recipe. It taste awesome!! I followed the recipe from shiokfood with minor amendment. Sigh...isn't it beautiful?

WHAT YOU NEED

Good quality Chinese chicken stock - 2 cups (500 ml) (not the crap you get from stock cubes)

Fresh or frozen lemongrass (dried lemongrass sucks) - 1 fat stalk (or 2 thin ones)

Galangal - 1 tablespoon (fresh is preferable, dried will do in a pinch - soak dried in warm water prior to use)

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 2-3 (cut into slivers

(If you don't have any of the above, Amazon ships a package of all the fresh ingredients you need for the soup.)

Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) - 1-2 tsp (depends on how hot your brand of paste is)

Thai bird's eye chillies (or Serrano chillies) - 4-5 (big slices so you can avoid them easily)

Fish sauce - 2 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 medium lime

Onion - 1/4 of a medium onion (sliced)

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Coriander (cilantro for you Americans) leaves - 4 tbsp

Boneless chicken breast - 50 gm (chopped)

Straw mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms) - 4 (sliced)

Spring/Green onions - 3 tbsp (sliced thin)
HOW TO MAKE IT

For the lemongrass, use only the bottom white part (about 6 inches) and discard the woody grass part of it. With the flat side of a cleaver or a heavy object, pound and bruise the lemongrass so it releases the flavour. Cut into 2 inch segments.

Put lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce and stock into a pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot and add the Kaffir lime leaves, chilies, onion, sugar and chicken pieces.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add Nam Prik Pao and mushrooms. Simmer for yet another 2 minutes. Now add the spring onions and let it simmer for 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat, add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Test for saltiness and sourness. If required, adjust with more fish sauce (salt) and lemon juice (sour).

This makes a medium-hot bowl. Some prefer to have it spicier. Find your own comfort level. Remove the lemongrass and galangal before serving if you like. They're not particularly edible. Good for colds, good for a whole lotta things. Your grandma's chicken soup can't hold a candle up to this one. :)

How to make chicken stock?