I love watching cooking shows and the boys enjoy them now as much as I do.  The last show we’ve been watching together ended already but the kid couldn’t stop thinking about the yummy seafood dishes.  And so, as requested by my son, I cook his favorite soup for lunch sometime last week.  Oh well, I’d like to reiterate my Facebook status then… I honestly think I cook the bestest tom yum haha!

The secret is in the prawn stock, which is the same procedure when cooking tom yum goong.  The juice of cooked mussels is also a plus.  But as I cooked for only 3 people that day, myself included, pardon me if I kind of counted how much seafood went to this batch.  That’s exactly what I did while buying at the fish market a couple of hours before I cooked this lovely dish.

Ingredients:
10 pcs fresh tiger prawns (more is better to make good stock)
10 pcs fresh mussels, cleaned thoroughly
12 pcs squid rings
2 red cod fish fillets, cut into about 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” chunks
2 1/2 cups water (or vegetable stock)
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 2” pieces and smashed lightly
6 dried kaffir lime leaves (or fresh)
Half a thumb of galangal, thinly sliced
1 shallot, smashed to release flavor
1 tbsp coriander (cilantro) roots
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 can of straw mushroom
A pinch of salt (optional)
Patis (fish sauce)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chili paste (or more)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Fresh coriander sprigs for garnishing

Wash prawn and dry on paper towels.  Remove heads and set aside with shells and legs.  Careful not to discard the fat at the base of the heads.  Devein prawns.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a deep saucepan.  Throw in prawn heads, shells and legs.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Crush heads tossing frequently over medium heat until orange-ish.  Add water, bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes.  Strain.  Discard heads and shells.

Return stock to the saucepan and bring to boil.  Throw in mussels, cover with a lid and cook for about a minute.  Scoop out and reserve.

Add in squid rings, cover with a lid and cook also for a minute.  Scoop out and reserve.  Repeat the procedure with the fish filets.  Careful not to overcook seafood.

Add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, coriander roots, galangal, shallot, tomato and mushrooms to the stock.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the soup smells herbal.  Add a pinch of salt then throw in the prawns with attached fats.  Cook for a minute or until prawns turn orange-ish.  Turn off the heat.  Scoop out prawns and reserve.

Season stock with fish sauce and lime juice.  Add brown sugar, chili and chopped coriander.  Strain soup into bowl/s of seafood.  Scoop out the mushrooms from the rest of the ingredients and include into the serving.  Garnish with sprigs of coriander.  Enjoy!

Below is my 1st serving.

Iska

I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.