Yum Is the Magick Word
I found myself home on a bitter cold night with only a pound of shrimp for company. It didn't have much to say, so I knew I had to work some kind of spell to make it sing. I dug around and discovered some chicken stock, a can of light coconut milk, and a bevvy of lounging, lusciously fresh veg. Knowing I needed to spice up my own night, it was time to get to work.
I've paid as much as $6 a bowl for Tum Yum Kha (aka Tom Yum Nam Khon) in my favorite Thai restaurants, and they're always little, appetizer-sized bowls. It is never on the menu as a main course, which makes me sad because...well, if you've visited da haus before, you know how soup stirs me. So, I set out to make my own - no Kaffir lime leaves, no lemongrass - because I hadn't planned on Thai, but once the thought of the spicy, slightly creamy, aromatic broth struck my brain, there was no turning back.
Besides, lime leaves and lemongrass can be hard to find sometimes out here in the outer darkness, so I had to experiment, you know, cast a few spells into the ether and see what happened.
Eureka! Solutions found. It took me all of 15 minutes to whip up this pot of supernatural soup and I could have my big bowl full, for a far lesser price - and without leaving the ramshackle mansion on such a frigid evening.
One spoonful and I was beyond excited at how I'd recreated 'yum-yum Thai Tom.' At that moment, however, I was alone and could not share my glee, so I share it now with whatever lurkers linger in the dim corners of the Gorey abode.
{Double bonus? This delicious blend of the sea, spice, and healthy vegetables is truly good for you. So you get flavor and a body boost.}
Gorey's Yummy Tom Yum Kha
4 c. (1 box) low-sodium chicken stock
¼ tsp. lime zest
¾ tsp. red pepper flakes
3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
juice of one medium lime
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. fish sauce (I use Filipino Rufina-brand patis)
about 1 c. (½ 14-oz. can) light coconut milk
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined & washed
½ c. shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
¾ c. snow peas, strings removed and cut in half
¼ c. carrots, chopped
¼ c. scallions, sliced, white and green parts
¼ c. canned water chestnuts, chopped
topping:
½ c. fresh cilantro (or parsley), finely chopped
½ c. scallions, slice thinly
~ In a deep pot, bring chicken stock to a medium boil. Add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir well, and boil about 2 minutes.
~ Add the fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice and lemon juice. Stir, cook an additional minute to let ingredients mingle in broth.
~ Add shrimp and vegetables, stir. Cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and firm.
~ Reduce heat to slow simmer, stir in coconut milk. Heat for an additional minute to be sure everything is hot.
~ Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling (to taste) of the fresh herb-scallion mixture. {Also nice, over rice - as you can see from my pic.}
Slurp well, my fiends!
Tom Yum Kha
I've paid as much as $6 a bowl for Tum Yum Kha (aka Tom Yum Nam Khon) in my favorite Thai restaurants, and they're always little, appetizer-sized bowls. It is never on the menu as a main course, which makes me sad because...well, if you've visited da haus before, you know how soup stirs me. So, I set out to make my own - no Kaffir lime leaves, no lemongrass - because I hadn't planned on Thai, but once the thought of the spicy, slightly creamy, aromatic broth struck my brain, there was no turning back.
Besides, lime leaves and lemongrass can be hard to find sometimes out here in the outer darkness, so I had to experiment, you know, cast a few spells into the ether and see what happened.
Eureka! Solutions found. It took me all of 15 minutes to whip up this pot of supernatural soup and I could have my big bowl full, for a far lesser price - and without leaving the ramshackle mansion on such a frigid evening.
One spoonful and I was beyond excited at how I'd recreated 'yum-yum Thai Tom.' At that moment, however, I was alone and could not share my glee, so I share it now with whatever lurkers linger in the dim corners of the Gorey abode.
{Double bonus? This delicious blend of the sea, spice, and healthy vegetables is truly good for you. So you get flavor and a body boost.}
Gorey's Yummy Tom Yum Kha
4 c. (1 box) low-sodium chicken stock
¼ tsp. lime zest
¾ tsp. red pepper flakes
3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
juice of one medium lime
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. fish sauce (I use Filipino Rufina-brand patis)
about 1 c. (½ 14-oz. can) light coconut milk
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined & washed
½ c. shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
¾ c. snow peas, strings removed and cut in half
¼ c. carrots, chopped
¼ c. scallions, sliced, white and green parts
¼ c. canned water chestnuts, chopped
topping:
½ c. fresh cilantro (or parsley), finely chopped
½ c. scallions, slice thinly
~ In a deep pot, bring chicken stock to a medium boil. Add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir well, and boil about 2 minutes.
~ Add the fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice and lemon juice. Stir, cook an additional minute to let ingredients mingle in broth.
~ Add shrimp and vegetables, stir. Cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and firm.
~ Reduce heat to slow simmer, stir in coconut milk. Heat for an additional minute to be sure everything is hot.
~ Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling (to taste) of the fresh herb-scallion mixture. {Also nice, over rice - as you can see from my pic.}
Slurp well, my fiends!
Tom Yum Kha