Tom Yum Goong

Serves 4, Prep: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 2 ½ tsp Tom Yum paste, 4 cups water, 10-12 fresh prawns (shelled, tail on), 4 stalks of lemongrass (cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces), 1 red onion (chopped), 1 thumb size piece of ginger (peeled and cut into thin slices), 4 makrut lime leaves (torn and bruised lightly), 6 oyster, straw or button mushrooms (quartered), 2 tomatoes (cut into wedges), 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce, 4-5 Thai bird’s eye chillies (smashed lightly), 2-3 dried red chilli peppers (halved), 2 tbsp of fresh lime juice, a handful of fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Method: Heat the water in a large pot, stir through the Tom Yum paste, add two of the lemongrass stalks, two of the makrut lime leaves and half the ginger, bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onion, remaining lemongrass, makrut lime and ginger, boil for another 5 minutes. Turn down to a simmer and add the mushrooms, Thai bird’s eye chilli peppers and dried chilli peppers, simmer until the mushrooms are softened. Toss in the prawns and tomatoes, stir gently until the prawns become firm and the flesh turns opaque, should be within two minutes. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste, stir in the coriander leaves, serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice.

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Lemongrass Ginger Tea

Serves 2, Prep: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 1 Knob of fresh ginger, 3 cups of water, 2 stalks of lemongrass and some leaves, honey to sweeten.

Method: In a pot set the water to boil, peel and slice the ginger, add crushed lemongrass. When boiled turn off the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the ginger and lemongrass, serve with a teaspoon of honey.