Tom Yum Goong

This week for lunch I felt like either a tom yum or a pho soup, but didn’t feel like going out.  So I made an Asian spiced  fish soup with sugar snap peas and scallions.  I began with 8 cups of water and simmered 15 minutes with:
a dozen fresh shrimp, heads and tails on, vein removed
4 crushed lemongrass stalks
6 keffir lime leaves
a thumb size of fresh ginger, chopped
one tbsp of tamarind paste
1 de-seeded chili goat pepper
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp each black cardamon and fennel seeds.

I turned the heat off and let it sit a further 15 minutes, then strained the broth into a saucepan, discarding the shrimp, grasses, leaves and seeds.   Into the hot broth I dropped:

3 tilapia fish filets
a handful of carrot matchsticks
sugar snap peas
chopped scallions
2 tbsp fish sauce (for salt and depth of flavor, I use Three Crabs brand)
a shot of Sriracha chili garlic sauce
1 tsp palm sugar
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp lime juice.

It was really good.

RELATED: Why I use 3 Crabs Brand Fish Sauce