Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Thai Tom Yum Goong
泰式冬蔭功
Recipe overview
Thai Tom Yum Goong is a sour-spicy prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilli and lime; Tom Yum means sour-spicy herb soup and Goong means prawn. This is clear-broth Tom Yum Goong Nam Sai, without coconut milk, dairy or thick chilli paste.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 head-on shell-on prawns
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 40 g galangal
- 4 limes
- 200 g straw mushrooms
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 3 to 5 red bird’s-eye chillies
- 25 g coriander
- 8 kaffir lime leaves
- 500 ml unsalted chicken stock
- 1 litre water
Prawn stock base
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
Tom Yum seasoning
- 2.5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons coconut sugar
Final flavour adjustment
- up to 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- up to 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
02
Tools
- heavy-based pot or wok
- heavy-based pot or wok
- wooden spoon or spatula
- wooden spoon or spatula
- large bowl
- small bowl
- measuring cup
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- knife
- cutting board
- tongs
- food thermometer
- heat-resistant gloves
03
Steps
Step 1
Thaw and inspect prawns
Refrigerate-thaw, discard liquid and reject ammonia, sour, slimy or blackened prawns.
Step 2
Shell and devein
Trim antennae, separate heads/shells and butterfly/devein prawn meat.
Step 3
Dry and separate
Blot meat, heads and shells separately; cover and chill meat.
Step 4
Prepare aromatics
Bruise lemongrass/coriander root; cut galangal, mushrooms, tomato, onion and chilli; tear leaves.
Step 5
Fry heads/shells
Fry in little oil 2–3 minutes, pressing heads without burning.
Step 6
Make and strain stock
Add 1 litre water, cook 12 minutes, skim and strain; discard shells.
Step 7
Simmer herbs
Add stock, lemongrass, galangal, leaves, root, onion and chilli for 6 minutes.
Step 8
Add mushrooms/tomato
Add mushrooms, tomato, fish sauce and coconut sugar 4–5 minutes.
Step 9
Cook prawn meat last
Add chilled meat 2–3 minutes until opaque pink.
Step 10
Check safety
Biggest prawn must reach 63°C with no translucent centre.
Step 11
Add lime off heat
Once boiling stops, stir in 80 ml lime juice; never long-boil it.
Step 12
Taste and serve
Adjust, add coriander and serve; do not chew hard aromatics.
Common mistakes
- Bruise the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves without shredding them, do not overcook the prawns, add lime juice off the heat and adjust fish sauce and sugar gradually.
Tips
Bruise the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves without shredding them, do not overcook the prawns, add lime juice off the heat and adjust fish sauce and sugar gradually.
