Thai Coconut and Seafood Soup Recipe

The long list of ingredients could mislead you into thinking that this soup is complicated and very time-consuming to prepare. In fact, it is extremely easy to put together and the marriage of flavors beautifully. Give it a try.....

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups fish stock
5 thin slices fresh galangal or fresh root ginger
2 lemon grass stalks, chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
Bunch garlic chives, about 25 g/1 oz
Small bunch fresh cilantro (coriander), about 15 g/½ oz
15 ml/1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 shallots, chopped
400 ml/14 fl oz can coconut milk
30-45 ml/2-3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
45-60 ml/3-4 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
450 g/1 lb raw jumbo shrimps (large prawns), peeled and deveined
450 g/1 lb prepared squid
A little fresh lime juice (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper
60 ml/4 tablespoons crisp fried shallot slices, to serve

Method:

Pour the fish stock into a large pan and add the slices of galangal or ginger, the lemon grass and half the shredded kaffir lime leaves. Reserve a few garlic chives for the garnish, then chop the remainder. Add half the chopped garlic chives to the pan. Strip the cilantro leaves from the stalks and set the leaves aside. Add the stalks to the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan, then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl.

Rinse and dry the pan. Add the oil and shallots. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to brown. Stir in the strained stock, coconut milk, the remaining kaffir lime leaves and 30 ml/2 tablespoons of the fish sauce. Heat gently until simmering and cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the curry paste and shrimps, then cook for about 3 minutes. Add the squid and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the lime juice, if using, and season, adding more fish sauce to taste. Stir in the remaining chives and the reserved cilantro leaves. Serve in bowls and sprinkle each portion with fried shallots and whole garlic chives.
[source from www.healthyonlinerecipes.com]