HOT SOUP: The soup mix, available at oriental market, makes it easy to reproduce this famous soup in the Thai cuisine at home.

TOM YAM GUNG---THAI STYLE HOT AND SOUP SHRIMP SOUP:

16 raw shrimp, shells on****                         

½ cup button mushrooms, quartered

1 lemon grass, sliced thinly crosswise 

8 thin slices fresh ginger

1 50-gm pkg. Tom Yam Gung soup mix         

2 red hot chillies, seeded and cut in half

2 lime leaves, or 4 strips lime peel + 2 to 3 limes

                  

1 large tomato, cut into small wedges

2 tbsp. fish sauce                                            

salt and pepper

small bunches of coriander                             

Place shrimp in a saucepan with 6 cups water. Add lemon grass, ginger and the soup mix. Bring to a boil and simmer 1-2 minute. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon. Cool, remove shells, returning shrimp shells to the soup, and de-vein shrimp. Add chillies and lime leaves (or lime peel) to soup and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Strain soup into a clean saucepan. Retrieve chillies and lime leaves and return them to the soup, while discarding lemon grass and lime peel, if using.

Add tomato wedges and mushrooms and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season soup with fish sauce, salt and pepper. Add coriander and squeeze in the juice of 2 limes. Taste and adjust seasoning, aiming for a hot and sour taste with a distinct citrus flavour, adding more lime juice or a pinch of salt if necessary. Return the shrimp to the soup to heat through. Serve at once.   

****A combination of seafood, such as squid, mussels, cubed fish filets, or chicken may be used instead of shrimp.****