Seafood Soup with Chilli and Basil Recipe

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
Recipe serves 4

Ingredients

8 raw king prawns
8 small black mussels in shells
1 white fish fillet (about 200g)
 small squid hoods
1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

3 stems lemon grass (white part only), bruised

2 cm piece fresh ginger, tinly sliced

8 kaffir lime leaves, bruised

2 green chillies, chopped

3 coriander roots, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

3 French shallots, sliced

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

3 cups fish stock or water

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon tamarind puree

1 tablespoon lime juice

¼ cup each of fresh Thai basil leaves and chopped fresh coriander, optional

2 small red chillies, chopped

Method

1. Peel prawns, leaving tails intact; devein. Remove beards from mussels and scrub shells to remove all the grit.

2. Cut the fish into 4 cm pieces. Using a sharp knife, slit the squid up one side, score the flesh in a diamond patter and cut the squid into pieces.

3. Heat oil in a large pan or wok, add the turmeric, lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, green chillies, coriander, garlic and shallots; stir over high heat for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add tomatoes, stir until soft. Add the stock to pan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

4. Add sugar, fish sauce, tamarind and all the seafood to pan. Bring mixture to the boil, cover, cook 3-5 minutes or until tender. Discard lemon grass and any mussels tat have not opened. Gently stir through the lime juice and herbs. Serve sprinkled with red chillies.

Hint

Bruise kaffir lime leaves by crushing with the flat side of a knife.