Hot and Sour Fish Soup

Name: Hot and Sour Fish Soup
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; 2 shallots, sliced; 1 pound shrimp, peeled, shells reserved; 6 cups fish or chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 161 or 160), or water; 3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, smashed, and cut into 2-inch lengths (page 143); One 3-inch piece fresh galangal or ginger, sliced and smashed; 4 fresh chiles, or to taste, preferably Thai, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or hot red pepper flakes to taste; 4 lime leaves, preferably fresh, minced; 1 tablespoon grated lime zest; 1 cup trimmed and sliced button mushrooms; 1 cup fresh or canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained if canned,; 2 tablespoons nam pla; 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves or scallion for garnish; Lime wedges

December 14, 2011

Unlike the viscous and peppery Chinese version of this soup on page 145, this one is brothlike and derives its heat from chiles and its intriguing sour flavor from lime and lemongrass. It’s the Southeast Asian equivalent of chicken soup, often eaten to treat a cold. See page 500 for information on nam pla.

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