Thai food

Thai Tom Yum Soup
This typically Thai soup is a blend of lemon grass, lime and fish sauce. It may contain pieces of shellfish, pork, beef or chicken. Oriental fish sauce - or nam pla - imparts a characteristic flavour. It is made by layering fresh anchovies and salt in wooden barrels and leaving them to ferment. Fish sauce and lime leaves are obtainable from oriental stores.
1.25 litres (2 pints/ 5 cups) fish
3 lime leaues (fresh or frozen)
1 stalk lemon grass, crushed
1 -2 chillies
250g(8oz) squid, cleaned and cut into rings
2 cloves garlic, chopped stock
2 tablespoons fish sauce
185g (6oz) peeled prawns
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1. Put the fish stock, lime leaves and lemon grass in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

2. Cut the chillies into rings, discarding the seeds unless you want a fiery hot soup! Add the chilly rings to the pan with the squid, garlic and fish sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes.

3. Add the prawns and heat through, then stir in the lime juice and salt.

4. Pour into individual bowls and sprinkle with the coriander. Serves 4.