Recipe - Hot And Sour Soup With Prawns

GENERAL
500 g Large; raw prawns, with
; shells (1lb)
One half teaspoon Salt
125 g Watercress; (4oz)
50 g Oyster or button mushrooms;
(2oz)
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh coriander
leaves
1 tablespoon Fish sauce

FOR THE STOCK
1 One fourth l Cold water; (2 pints)
3 Tamarind slices
2 small Dried red chillies; (2 to 4)
2 Kaffir lime leaves
2 One half Cm; (1inch) piece of
; fresh ginger,
; peeled
5 Cm; (2inch) piece of
; fresh or dried
; galingale
1 Stalk fresh lemon grass; cut
into 3
1 Mediumsize onion; chopped
One half teaspoon Salt
600 ml Strong but clear chicken or
vegtable; or water, if
; stock, necessary (1 pint)

Peel and devein the prawns. Wash the prawns, and the shells, very
thoroughly. Put the prawns on a plate, sprinkle with One half teaspoon salt and
keep in the fridge until needed. Reserve the shells.

Put the water into a large saucepan with the prawn shells and all the
ingredients for the stock except the extra liquid. Bring this to the boil
and simmer for 2030 minutes. By this time the stock will be very fragrant
from the lemon grass and other aromatic ingredients.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve, or a sieve lined with muslin, into
another large saucepan. Discard the solids. Add the extra stock or water,
if used (this additional liquid is needed if the soup is to serve six
people). Keep aside to reheat later.

While the hot and sour stock is brewing, prepare the vegetables. Pick the
watercress leaves off the stems as you wash them.

Shred the oyster mushrooms finely. Put the clear, srained stock back on the
heat; turn the heat up and bring the stock to a rolling boil, then add the
prawns, mushrooms and coriander leaves.

Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes, add the watercress and the fish sauce.
Cook the soup for just one more minute, then serve immediately.

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