Tom Yum Goong

• 500 g
  large prawns shell-on — the shells go into the broth
• 3
  lemongrass stalks bruised with back of knife, cut into 5cm pieces
• 30 g
  galangal fresh, thinly sliced — do not substitute ginger
• 8
  kaffir lime leaves (makrut) fresh or frozen, torn
• 8
  Thai bird's eye chillies bruised, adjust to heat preference
• 3 tbsp
  fish sauce Tiparos preferred
• 3 tbsp
  fresh lime juice added off heat only — never cook lime juice
• 2 tbsp
  nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) for creamy version — omit for clear
• 200 ml
  full-fat coconut milk for creamy version — added at the end
• 200 g
  straw or oyster mushrooms halved
• 8
  cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 litre
  chicken stock or water use prawn shells for the base if using water
• large handful
  coriander leaves to finish

1. 1

   Peel prawns, reserving shells and heads. Sauté shells and heads in a little oil until pink and aromatic. Add stock or water, bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes, strain.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Prawn heads contain the tomally — the hepatopancreas — which is the most concentrated source of prawn flavour. The sautéing step before adding water creates a Maillard-flavoured base rather than a simple water extraction. Five minutes of sautéing builds flavour that an hour of simmering alone cannot replicate. The shells release chitin-bound proteins that contribute to the characteristic orange-pink colour of the stock.
2. 2

   Return prawn stock to heat. Add bruised lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bird's eye chillies. Simmer 5 minutes to infuse.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   The aromatic trio of Thai cooking — lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime — are delivery systems for essential oils, not ingredients to be eaten. They are bruised before entering the pot to rupture the cell walls and release these oils into the stock. Five minutes of simmering is sufficient; longer begins to extract bitter tannins from the woody lemongrass base. These aromatics are moved aside before eating — they are fibrous and flavourless after their oils have been extracted.
3. 3

   Add mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes until softened.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Straw mushrooms hold their shape in liquid where button mushrooms would soften into mush. Cherry tomatoes are added at this stage — not with the aromatics — to preserve their structure and fresh acid contribution. They provide a different, brighter sourness than the lemongrass and kaffir lime, adding depth to the soup's acid profile.
4. 4

   Add peeled prawns. Cook 1–2 minutes until just pink. Do not overcook.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Prawns provide a clear visual doneness signal: they curl into a C-shape and turn uniformly pink-orange. A perfect prawn curves to a loose C — fully pink with no grey. An overcooked prawn forms an O shape (fully curled) with a rubbery texture. The difference in time between a loose C and a tight O is approximately 45 seconds. Remove from heat at the loose C stage — the residual heat of the broth will finish them.
5. 5

   For creamy version: stir in nam prik pao and coconut milk, bring back to heat but do not boil.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) adds smokiness, sweetness from caramelised shrimp paste, and complex bitterness from the roasted chillies. Full-fat coconut milk is essential — the fat creates the emulsified creamy texture. Boiling after adding coconut milk causes the fat to separate and rise to the surface, breaking the emulsion and leaving an oily, unappetising appearance.
6. 6

   Remove from heat. Season with fish sauce (salty) and lime juice (sour) — add in small increments, tasting constantly.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Lime juice is added off heat because its key aromatic compounds — citric acid esters and volatile terpenes — begin degrading above 70°C, leaving flat sourness without the floral brightness. Fish sauce similarly changes character when boiled, intensifying in saltiness and losing its more delicate umami notes. Both are finishing seasonings, not cooking ingredients. Add in small increments — there is no correcting over-seasoning in a broth.
7. 7

   Serve in deep bowls with coriander. Provide extra lime, fish sauce, and sugar at the table.

   Technique Note ↓
   Technique Depth

   Thai condiment philosophy acknowledges that taste is subjective. The chef balances the soup as a template; the diner perfects it. The table condiments are not a hedge against under-seasoning — they are a cultural acknowledgement that no fixed recipe can account for individual preference. The correct sequence: taste first, add what is needed. In Thailand, the first adjustment is almost always more lime.

Aromatics-first broth construction. Galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves are bruised — not sliced, not chopped — and added to boiling liquid. They infuse as the broth comes to temperature, then are removed before the protein is added. They flavour the broth; they are not eaten. This is the distinction between Thai and most Western soup traditions.

• 1. Galangal — not ginger. They are different genera with entirely different aromatic profiles. Galangal is piney, camphor-forward; ginger is warm and sweet.
• 2. Kaffir lime leaves torn by hand, never chopped — tearing opens the oils along natural cell boundaries without releasing bitterness from the cut edge.
• 3. Thai bird's eye chillies, split lengthways to release their heat into the broth.
• 4. Fish sauce: Tiparos or Megachef — the umami backbone of the entire dish.
• 5. Fresh prawns with shells on — the shells add body and sweetness that peeled prawns cannot provide.
• 6. Straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, never button — button mushrooms dilute the broth.

• The broth should be clear and amber-tinted, not cloudy.
• A single sip should cause an involuntary inhale from the heat, then an immediate exhale from the citrus brightness.
• Prawns should curl into a C-shape but not tighten into an O — the difference between cooked and overcooked.

• Vietnamese phở — broth-first construction, aromatic infusion in liquid, similar herb-forward clarity.
• Filipino sinigang — tamarind sour broth with protein and vegetables. The Malay-Polynesian tradition of sour broth.
• Moroccan chermoula — similar aromatics-first construction (herb/citrus/cumin), different medium.