I am A legal ALIEN

I am not Thai, but I LOVE Thai Food. I love Tom Yam, Papaya Salad, Gelatin Rice with Mango and Coconut Milk, Pat Thai, Thai Duck Soup, you name it.

Right now I live USD 2000 away from Thailand and there’s no Thai restaurant exists in this most expensive city (for expats) in the world. Thus, home-made (supposedly a) Tom Yam is always in order. Of course my Tom Yam will be a laughing stock to Thai people, as westerners’ version of Satay to me. Still, it’s better than nothing. Besides, I always believe that if you want to get the authentic dish, don’t be a cheap and fly to the respective country.

Ingredients for soup

• 15 medium size shrimps (remove head, skin and tail)
• 500 gr fish fillet (I use Corvina), dice in cubes then fry
• 300 gr button mushroom
• 2 liter water

• 9 shallots
• 9 garlic
• 3 red chilis (or more if you’re brave)
• 1 tbs of dried shrimp*
• 1 tsp of shrimp paste
• 2 sticks of (smashed) lemon grass root**
• 9 kaffir lime leaves***
• one thumb size of galangal (smashed)
• chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tsp tamarind paste****
• 3 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs salt (add more if needed)
• 2 tbs cooking oil

Tamarind paste, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal

Ingredients for serving

• chopped coriander leaves
• sliced spring onion

Prepare the soup

• With a blender, mix together shallots, garlic, red chili, dried shrimp & shrimp paste
• In a big pot (with cooking oil) stir fry the mixed spices until fragrant
• Add the head, skin and tail of the shrimp until color turns red
• Add water
• Add lime leaves, lemon grass, coriander leaves, galangal, tamarind paste, fish sauce, lime juice, pepper, sugar and salt
• Taste (add salt, sugar, lime juice as needed and preferred)
• Let it boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for an hour
• Strain the soup leaving only the cloudy reddish liquid

• Into the strained soup, add shrimps, mushrooms and fried fish
• Bring to boil, until shrimp and mushroom cooked
• Add fresh chopped coriander and sliced spring onion before serving

Notes:

• *If you don’t have dried shrimp, you can make them by putting shrimps in the oven 200 C, until shrimps dried and crispy
• ** You can use dried lemon grass roots (you need the roots, not the leaves)
• *** This cannot be substituted with dried ones. Most Asian stores should have freshly-frozen leaves, so look in the frozen section
• ****Tamarind paste can be substituted with vinegar. Don’t go overboard, try add little by little until you get the preferred acidity