tom yam kung

40 minutes

9 cups water
4" piece of lemongrass
3 large slices dried laos root (galangal)
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
6 makrut leaves (kaffir lime leaves), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz shelled shrimp
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1 lime, juice of
2 red or green chilies, chopped
6 chives or 4 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro root, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons tom yam paste from jar
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, quartered for garnish (optional)
additional makrut leaves for garnish (optional)

in a large soup pot bring water to a boil. add lemon grass, laos root and peppercorns to a large tea ball or cheese cloth to contain the spices. Add makrut directly to water. Simmer for 20 minutes. heat oil in a large skillet. add shrimp and stir fry until pink. add shrimp to soup and simmer additional 10 minutes. add garlic and cilantro root and simmer for 2 minutes or until the shrimp are done. stir in fish sauce, juice of one lime, green onion, cilantro leaves, tom yam paste, salt and chilies. garnish with makrut and lime if desired. serve hot.

you will need to venture to your local asian market for this dish, but you should be able to find everything you need there. it is a very simple and rewarding dish. i find myself craving this quite often when the weather is chilly.