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Tom yum with rice vermicelli
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 180g mee hoon (Thai rice vermicelli noodles)
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 litre Asian-style chicken stock, unsalted chicken stock, prawn stock or water
- 2 lemongrass stalks, smashed and cut into around 5 pieces
- 2 lemongrass stalks, smashed and cut into around 5 pieces
- 2.5cm piece galangal, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1tbsp tamarind paste
- 8 mushrooms, quartered
- 1tbsp chilli jam (optional)
- 1tbsp roasted chilli garlic oil
- 3–4tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 3 green finger chillies, smashed and cut lengthways
- 1 small handful coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 450g prawns, heads and tails on, deveined
- 450g mussels, debearded and cleaned
- 1tbsp evaporated milk (optional)
- 1tbsp evaporated milk (optional)
- 2tsp palm or white sugar, or to taste (optional)
- 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
- handful chopped or sliced vegetables, such as cabbage, beansprouts or par-cooked carrots (optional)
Method
Put the noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit in the water for around 1 minute, then drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large panover a medium–high heat until shimmering-hot. Add the shallots and fry for around 1 minute. Add the stock or water, lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal and garlic and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the aromatic liquid for around 10 minutes, then stir in the tamarind paste.
Add the mushrooms, chilli jam, if using, chilli oil, fish sauce, green finger chillies and coriander, continuing to simmer. Stir in the prawns and mussels and continue cooking for 5–10 minutes or until the prawns turn pink and the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that don’t open. When everything is cooked through, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Add the evaporated milk, if using, with the tomatoes and let them cook through in the hot stock. Taste again and add sugar, if using, and adjust the sour, spicy and savoury flavours at the same time, if needed. Add the spring onions and the other vegetables, if using, and allow them to cook through.
Divide the noodles among four to six bowls and pour the hot broth and seafood over them. Garnish with extra coriander to serve.
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