SPICY SHRIMP AND COCONUT SOUP (TOM YUM GOONG)

Rarely does one get to say, "Yum's my middle name."  And rarely does food have a first, middle, and last name to boot.  This all points to an especially awesome dish, and an especially popular one if you find yourself in Thailand.  Or a Thai restaurant, which is where I find myself at least once a week.  This time around, I had a bunch of fried chicken mushrooms left over from the farmer's market and cold air nipping at my heels, so soup's on!  These earthy little mushrooms, which taste like shitakes with the volume turned up, are the perfect compliment to sweet shrimp and spicy/sour broth. And it's ready to eat in under 30 minutes.  I can't think of a better way to beat the cold and hunger at the same time.  Enjoy!

Note: Leave the kaffir leaves, ginger, and lemon grass in the broth, but eat around them.  They're super fibrous and meant to impart flavor, not be eaten.





Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 stalks fresh lemon grass, the tip and base trimmed and the rest cut into 1 inch pieces
3 one inch chunks fresh ginger
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, sliced
1 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 lb shrimp shelled and de-veined
1 tablespoon roasted garlic chili paste (nam prik pao)
1 cup fried chicken mushrooms, or shitake mushrooms, sliced (if using fried chicken mushrooms, make sure to clean them thoroughly, as they're very sandy)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

sliced chiles (optional)

Directions:

Bring the broth and water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce, mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chili paste and shrimp, boiling for another 7 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce or chili paste to taste. If it's a little too spicy, add the coconut milk to soften it. Garnish with cilantro, basil, and fresh chiles for extra spice.  Enjoy!