Tom Yum Talay

Method21 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Remove the heads from the 12 prawns and reserve them cold for the stock, leaving the shells on the bodies. Devein and pat the bodies dry without washing raw seafood. Mix the bodies with their 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt, cover and refrigerate until the final cooking stage.

   Uses 12 medium-to-large raw head-on prawns, heads for the stock and shell-on bodies for the soup · 1 tsp sugar, for the prawns · ½ tsp salt, for the prawns

2. 2

   Step 2: Pat the grouper dry and cut into thick slices without washing raw fish. Mix with its separate 1½ tsp fish sauce and ¼ tsp pepper, cover and refrigerate until cooking.

   Uses 250 g raw grouper fillet, to slice thickly · 1½ tsp Thai fish sauce, for the fish slices · ¼ tsp pepper, for the fish slices

3. 3

   Step 3: Remove the squid (2 large) skin, innards and hard internal parts; pat dry without splashing raw seafood around the sink. Cut into thick rings, retain the edible tentacles if present, and refrigerate until cooking.

   Uses 2 large raw squid, to clean and cut into thick rings

4. 4

   Step 4: Have the separate 1 tbsp chopped stock garlic ready. Peel, wash and slice the other 4–5 garlic cloves for the soup; keep these two garlic portions separate.

   Uses 1 tbsp chopped garlic, for frying the prawn heads · 4–5 cloves garlic, to slice for the soup · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

5. 5

   Step 5: Wash the lemongrass (2 stalks). Cut off about 8 cm of the upper stems, keeping the broader ends. Bruise those ends and cut into about 3 cm lengths.

   Uses 2 stalks lemongrass · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

6. 6

   Step 6: Peel, wash and slice the galangal (1½).

   Uses 1½ thumb-sized pieces galangal (blue ginger) · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

7. 7

   Step 7: Wash the chillies and bruise lightly with the side of a knife.

   Uses 2 bird’s-eye chillies (chilli padi) · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

8. 8

   Step 8: Wash the lime leaves and twist them to break their veins and release their aroma.

   Uses 8–10 Thai lime leaves · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

9. 9

   Step 9: Rinse the tamarind rind and drain.

   Uses 5–6 pieces tamarind rind (assam skin) · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash the oyster mushrooms (250 g), gently squeeze out excess water and cut into chunky pieces.

    Uses 250 g oyster mushrooms · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

11. 11

    Step 11: Wash the lime exterior, cut the limes and squeeze their juice, keeping seeds and peel out. The author’s guide is about ½ cup from 4–5 limes; reserve the collected juice to add to taste. Wash and drain the optional parsley separately.

    Uses 4–5 Thai limes, for about ½ cup juice to add to taste · 1–2 sprigs parsley, optional, to garnish · Clean water, as needed for washing the aromatics, tamarind rind, mushrooms, lime exterior and optional parsley

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat the 4 tbsp stock oil in a wok over high heat. Add only the prepared 1 tbsp chopped garlic and fry until aromatic, without burning.

    Uses 4 tbsp cooking oil, for the prawn heads and chopped garlic · Only prepared 1 tbsp chopped stock garlic, excluding the separate sliced soup garlic

13. 13

    Step 13: Add the reserved 12 prawn heads. Press and chop them with the spatula to release their juices, then fry until very fragrant and reddish oil appears.

    Uses Hot stock oil and aromatic chopped garlic · Only the 12 reserved raw prawn heads, excluding refrigerated seasoned bodies

14. 14

    Step 14: Carefully add the 1 litre boiling stock water a little at a time, avoiding splashes from the hot oil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, checking at 20 minutes for an orange oil layer on the surface.

    Simmer the prawn-head stock · 20 minUses Fried prawn heads, garlic, oil and released juices · 1 litre boiling water, for simmering the prawn-head stock

15. 15

    Step 15: Strain the stock into a large soup pot. Discard the spent prawn heads and solids, retaining the strained broth.

    Uses Prawn-head stock mixture

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the separate 2 litres boiling soup water to the strained prawn stock and bring back to a boil.

    Uses Only strained prawn broth, excluding spent heads and solids · 2 litres boiling water, added after straining the stock

17. 17

    Step 17: Once boiling, add the prepared sliced soup garlic, lemongrass, galangal, chillies, lime leaves and tamarind rind, plus the ¾ tbsp Thai chilli paste and an initial 3 tbsp soup fish sauce. Lower to medium and continue a controlled boil for about 10 minutes; avoid prolonged overboiling of the aromatics.

    Boil the soup aromatics · 10 minUses Expanded boiling prawn broth · Only the prepared 4–5 sliced soup garlic cloves, excluding chopped stock garlic · Only prepared bruised lemongrass bases, excluding discarded upper stems and wash water · Only peeled sliced galangal, excluding peel and wash water · Only washed bruised chillies, excluding rinse water · Only washed twisted lime leaves, excluding rinse water · Only rinsed drained tamarind rind, excluding rinse water · ¾ tbsp ready Thai chilli paste

18. 18

    Step 18: Add the prepared oyster mushrooms and continue boiling for another 5 minutes, until cooked.

    Cook the oyster mushrooms · 5 minUses Seasoned aromatic soup · Only drained prepared oyster mushrooms, excluding rinse water

19. 19

    Step 19: Turn the heat to high. Add the cold seasoned shell-on prawn bodies, fish slices and cleaned squid. The source gives a 30-second initial guide, but keep cooking until the fish and squid reach 63°C (145°F), fish is opaque and flakes easily, and prawns are pearly and opaque throughout. Turn off only when all seafood is cooked through.

    First seafood doneness check · 1 minUses Hot mushroom and aromatic soup · Only seasoned shell-on prawn bodies, excluding reserved heads · Seasoned thick grouper slices · Only cleaned squid rings and edible tentacles, excluding discarded innards and skin

20. 20

    Step 20: Taste the cooked soup. Add the finishing sugar gradually within its 3–4 tsp allowance and the reserved lime juice to taste. Add up to the remaining 1 tbsp of the soup fish-sauce allowance only if needed; do not automatically add it all.

    Uses Fully cooked seafood and soup · 3–4 tsp sugar, to add to taste · Only collected lime juice, excluding peel, seeds, rinse water and optional parsley · Up to the remaining 1 tbsp soup fish sauce, only if needed

21. 21

    Step 21: Immediately divide the cooked seafood among eight bowls and pour over the hot soup. Garnish with the prepared optional parsley and serve promptly so the seafood does not overcook in the pot. Remove or avoid the tough aromatic pieces and prawn shells while eating.

    Uses Completed hot seafood soup · Only prepared optional parsley garnish, excluding lime juice and rinsing water