http://www.realthairecipes.com Authentic Thai Recipes from Thailand Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:47:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/hot-and-sour-soup-with-shrimp/ http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/hot-and-sour-soup-with-shrimp/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:34:31 +0000 cee http://www.realthairecipes.com/soups-curries/hot-and-sour-soup-with-shrimp/ Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp (tom yum goong, ต้มยำกุ้ง) is probably the most famous Thai dish, both inside and outside of Thailand. It's eaten very often here, usually in a type of hot pot with fire underneath. There are hundreds of variations of tom yum, and this recipe includes the two most common versions of Tom Yum Goong.]]>

Prepare all the ingredients. Remove the outer layer of the lemongrass stalks and cut off the end. Cut into 1-2″ pieces and smash with the side of a heavy knife to release flavor. Tear the center vein off the lime leaves. Slice your galangal into thin slices. Cut the tomato into 6 pieces lengthwise. Peel the skin off the shallots and smash lightly. Clean your coriander roots well. Smash the fresh chilies with the back of a heavy knife, or in a mortar and pestle. If using fresh Thai straw mushrooms, slice the bottoms off and cut in 1/2 lengthwise. If making the version with milk: roast the dried chilies until fragrant and browned in a dry wok on medium heat (see note).

Clean the shrimp by peeling off the backs and snapping off the top part of the heads, but leave the fat on at the base of the head (the reddish brown goop). This is very important, as that fat imparts a signature flavor into Tom Yum Goong. Don’t discard it. Then, peel out the legs + intestine underneath, but leave the tails on. Set aside.

Boil the broth on high until it comes to a rapid boil. (see note about broth below). Add the lime leaves, lemongrass, coriander root, galangal, shallot(s) and tomato. Boil for 4-5 minutes until the broth tastes herbal. if you’re using fresh ingredients, 4-5 minutes should be enough. In a separate pan, boil the mushrooms in plain water.

After you’ve boiled 4-5 minutes, add a pinch of salt and the shrimp. Strain the cooked mushrooms and add them to the soup as well. Cook until shrimp turn pink, about a minute.

Add the fish sauce and remove from heat. You will now season the soup.

Add lime juice, chili paste, smashed fresh chilies. Taste the soup. Is it sour? Is it salty? If no, add a bit more, 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

If making the version with milk: Add the milk and dried chilies. If doing this step you’ll need to add a bit more lime juice and fish sauce as the milk tames it down a bit. Add about a teaspoon more of each.

Add cilantro and serve. This soup is best served really hot!

]]> http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/hot-and-sour-soup-with-shrimp/feed/ 21 http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/fried-fish-with-chili-sauce/ http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/fried-fish-with-chili-sauce/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:36:02 +0000 cee http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/fried-fish-with-chili-sauce/ Plaa Raad Prik (pla rad prik) is a whole fish, fried until crispy and then covered with a sweet spicy sauce made from garlic, palm sugar and chilies. This is usually part of a larger meal. You can pair this with a curry or soup and a few vegetable dishes for balance. This recipe is a home style recipe, it'll taste different (better) than the ones you get at restaurants. Most restaurants use pre-made sweet sauce and alter it a bit.]]>

Smash the garlic cloves slightly in a stone mortar & pestle, or with the back of a knife. If not using thin-skinned Thai garlic, remove the skins. Add the chilies and smash. Do not smash to a paste.

Combine the tamarind with the hot water and squish it with your fingers to create a paste. Strain and set aside.

Clean the guts out of the fish and remove the scales. Wash and pat dry. Rub the fish with the salt, then make 3-4 deep slices into both sides of the fish.

Deep fry on medium heat until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a rack or plate. Remove the oil from the wok, but reserve it to use in the sauce.

Add 1/2 cup of the used oil back to the pan. Fry the garlic and chilies until fragrant on medium or medium-low heat. Keep stirring at all times to prevent the garlic from burning. The garlic should not be brown and crispy, only slightly browned and still soft. If you overcook it, ditch it and start a new one.

When the garlic is fragrant, add the tamarind water, palm sugar and fish sauce. Bring the heat up and boil for about 1-2 minutes, stirring well.

Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander.

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