Aromatic coconut soup with prawns and coriander
SERVES 6 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
Those who know me well will be surprised I’ve actually added chilli to a dish, being the chilli wimp I am. In 20 years of writing recipes, this would only have happened a couple of times before. The chilli here just gives an underlying flavour rather than a blast of heat, but if you love chilli, add more as this soup could take it. I love the combination of coconut milk, lime and coriander, and if you have any coriander that’s going to seed, add the flowers at the last moment, too. One last word of advice: don’t overcook the prawns!
12 large raw prawns
2½ tablespoons (40g) extra virgin coconut oil
3 large golden shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12cm piece (60g) ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 long fresh red chilli, coarsely chopped (or more if you like things hot)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 lemongrass stalks, pale ends only, crushed
½ cup coriander roots and stalks, rinsed well
4 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
2 litres (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups (500ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup coriander leaves
3 tablespoons fried shallots (available from Asian supermarkets)
1 Peel prawns, leaving heads and tails on. Reserve the shells. Use a skewer to devein the prawns, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
2 Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for
3 minutes. Add the turmeric, chilli, coriander seeds, lemongrass, coriander roots and stalks, lime leaves and the prawn shells, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until aromatic. 3 Add the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stand for 20 minutes before straining. Discard the solids, then return the soup to a clean pan. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice, and season to taste.
4 Just before serving, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the prawns, in 2 batches, for 2 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Remove the heads and tails, then cut the prawns in half lengthways.
5 To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Add the prawns, then scatter with coriander leaves and fried shallots.