Jason & April Ruggles

Food Friday: Tom Yum Goong

Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Jason in food, Thailand

If you asked most Thais what is the best Thai food they will say Tom yum, even though the first thing a Westerner thinks is Pad Thai. Having lived here for a year, I’m likely to agree with the Thais. It’s SO flavourful. Yesterday, we learned how to make it.

Tom yum means boiled, with a lot of ingredients, and spicy. And that’s exactly what it is. A good tom yum is a balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy. You can make it with shrimp, chicken, fish… whatever meat you choose. But the most popular is shrimp (or goong), which is what we made.

Recipe, serves 2

Ingredients:

• Water – 5 cups
• Lemongrass – 6 sticks, lightly crushed.
• Galangal – 6 slices (2 tablespoons)
• Fish Sauce – 3fl oz., or to taste
• Oyster Sauce – 2 Tablespoons
• Chili Paste – 2 Tablespoons (or to taste)
• Garlic – 2 teaspoons, finely diced
• Birds Eye Chilis – 2 teaspoons, finely diced.
• Kaffir Lime Leaves – 8 leaves, with the stem taken out (what are lime leaves?)
• Onions – Half a medium onion, sliced
• Mushrooms – 8 mushrooms, Halved
• Tomatoes – 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
• Lime Juice – 6 Tablespoons, or to taste
• Raw Shrimp – 12, shelled and gutted

(Many of these ingredients are things we just don’t cook with in America. But you’ll be able to find most, if not all ingredients at an Asian grocery. For info on what these ingredients are, check out www.thaifoodandtravel.com.)

Instructions

1. Place the water, lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili paste, chilis, and lime leaves into a large pan over a high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain. Then add the broth back to the pot.
4. Add the onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and lime juice. Let simmer until cooked. Add shrimp. Simmer until cooked.
5. Taste, and adjust ingredients as necessary to keep the salty/sour/spicy combo.
6. To serve, pour the soup into two bowls. Garnish with Thai basil, coriander and a wedge of lime.

Slicing onions

Kaffir Lime Leaves

Chili Paste (it gives it the sweet taste)

April tending the pot

Tom Yum Goong, the finished product

Tags: food, friday, Thai, Thailand