Hot and sour and sweet and salty – this is the Asian answer to chicken soup when your body needs to feel good about itself
Serves
2
Cooking time
30 mins
Ingredients
16 raw shell-on king prawns
Dash of oil
4 lime leaves, roughly torn or the juice of 1 lime
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 5cm pieces and crushed
2 slices ginger
2 bird’s eyes chillies, finely sliced
1 tbsp palm sugar or cane sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
Handful of coriander torn, to serve
Method
Shell the prawns and set the meat aside. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium-high flame, and fry the shells until pink. Add 1 litre of water and bring to a simmer, then strain and discard the shells.
Return the prawn stock to a clean pan, and add the lime leaves, lemongrass and galangal. Bring to a simmer and leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then add the chillies and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the prawns and cook through until pink, then take off the heat and stir in the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Taste for seasoning, and then pour into bowls. Garnish with coriander or basil and serve immediately