Recipe - Hot And Sour Shrimp Soup (Thai)

1 pound Medium shrimp
2 Sticks fresh or
2 tablespoon Dried lemongrass
4 Fresh or dried kaffir lime
leaves or
1 tablespoon Finely grated lemon zest
1 One half qt Chicken stock
1 tablespoon Fish sauce or salt to taste
3 tablespoon Fresh lime juice or to taste
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste(nam prik
pow) or substitute 1/4
tsp cayenne, One fourth tsp sugar,
One half tsp oil
1 cn (15 oz) straw mushrooms or
12 md Fresh mushrooms
3 Fresh hot green chilies
3 tablespoon Cilantro

Source: Madhur Jaffrey's _Far Eastern Cookery_

Wash, peel, devein shrimp. Save shells. Wash shrimp again, drain, pat dry,
cover and refrigerate. If using fresh lemongrass, cut each stick into three
2 inch piecesstarting from rounded bottom end. Discard strawlike top.
Lightly crush the 6 pieces.

In a pan, combine lemongrass, lime leaves, stock, and shrimp shells. Bring
to boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain stock, then
add fish sauce, lime juice, and chili paste. Adjust fish sauce and lime
juice to taste. *Add more chili paste for more heat.

Drain straw mushrooms and add to stock. (If using fresh mushrooms, quarter
them and drop in lightly salted boiling water. Boil 1 minute. Drain and add
to stock.) **The soup can be prepared to this point several hours ahead of
time and stored in the refrigerator.**

Prepare garnish shortly before serving. Cut green chilies into fine rounds.
Wash and dry cilantro. Just before serving, heat the soup, when it begins
to boil, drop in peeled shrimp. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or just
until shrimp turn opaque. Garnish with chilies and cilantro leaves. Serve
hot.

Posted to rec.food.recipes by sehender@reed.edu (Sarah Henderson) on Sep
6, 93.