Southeast Asian food holds a special place our hearts (especially the soups). We are lucky enough this week to have discovered a Chef who enjoys SE Asian food even more than we do, Robert Danhi. Robert is an expert SE Asian cuisine having written an award winning cookbook and leading culinary tours to the region. Try his Thai Hot & Sour Soup (Tom Yum Goong) and learn more about his adventures on his website.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. medium shrimp – head on
- 1 T. Vegetable oil
- 2 t. Thai Chili Jam (nahm prik pow)
- 1 t. minced cilantro roots
- 4-6 thai bird chilies, stems removed, split in half lengthwise
- 8 cups water or broth (seafood or chicken)
- 6 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, slice on diagonal into 3 inch lengths and lightly bruised with a blunt object
- 3 slices galangal, sliced 1/8 in. thick
- 10 Kaffir lime leaves, bruised
- 2 plum or roma tomatoes, cut into 1 in. chunks
- ½ can straw mushrooms, drained, halved
- ¼ c. fish sauce
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Click here to download Robert’s guide on cutting lemongrass
Peel shrimp, reserving and quickly rinsing the heads and shells, leaving tail attached; de-vein the shrimp and refrigerate. Heat oil in 4 qt. saucepan or wok over high heat; add shrimp heads and shells. Cook, stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute. Add chili paste, chilies, cilantro stems and water; bring to a boil, and then lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Stain into a new pot. Add lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves; simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp, tomatoes, mushrooms, and fish sauce. Bring back to a simmer; cook 30 seconds, until shrimp are just ocoked. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce and lime juice. Place cilantro leeves into bowls, and then ladle soup over them; serve immediately.
For more fanstastic Soup of the Week recipes, click here.
About Chef Robert Danhi
Robert Danhi’s culinary career ignited when he met his wife while taking cooking classes at El Camino Community College. After taking a trip to her homeland in Malaysia, Robert’s passion for all things Southeast Asian exploded. Inspired to expand his gastronomic foundation, Robert entered the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. By 1995, Robert was the manager of the Bristol Farms Cooking School and then moved into the position as Executive Chef Instructor and Director of Education at the Southern California School of Culinary Arts. In 1999, Robert returned as a faculty member at the CIA. Robert founded Chef Danhi & Co in 2005, a consulting firm that works with food manufacturers, restaurants, educational organizations, and professional associations. Three years later, he founded Mortar & Press, a multimedia group that produces culinary infused content including Robert’s James Beard Nominated cookbook, Southeast Asian Flavors—Adventures in Cooking the Foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, & Singapore. When Robert is not busy in the kitchen, he enjoys traveling Southeast Asia, riding his bike along the Pacific Coast, surfing, listening to music, and spending time with his wife, Esther. Check out Robert’s website here.
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