How To Make Tom Yum Soup With Shrimp and Fish | Easy Asian Cooking

Remember tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) fish, a clear, spicy and sour soup? Well, the lingering aftertaste was haunting me and my big cravings was kicking in early this morning - I still remember how's the creeping chilli hot awaken my lethargic appetite that day. Whilst it's still early to whip up a dish at the crack of dawn, I just scoured the video from YouTube hoping to find a good Tom Yum soup recipe to satiate my gluttonous mind, at least. And voila! I found this Tom Yum soup video with a nice and rejuvenating background song - "Right Here Waiting" by Bryan Adams (Written by : Richard Marx). Enjoy!

Ingredients :

Chicken stock or chicken powder
1 stalk lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves (sold fresh or frozen at Asian food stores)
12 medium or large raw shrimp, trim off shrimp head, rest intact
1 white meat fish (any type, e.g. black pomfret et cetera), cut across into 2 or 3 portions
3 tbsp of tom yam paste (or alternatively 1 tsp chilli paste with soy bean oil (辣椒膏))
2 tbsp fish sauce
5 red or green bird's eye chillies (quantity adjusted to your preference), finely sliced
1 tomato
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 lime, squeeze out the juice
Coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped, to be sprinkled on top of the soup
Spring onions (scallions), sliced finely, to be sprinkled on top of the soup
1 red chilli pepper (Cayenne chilli pepper), seeded and sliced (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Method :



Source

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Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

I have a few calorie-laden staple dishes for the past few days and to alleviate this gnawing guilt, there's some internal urges from myself to adopt a healthier diet since after. I try to ration and minimize the intake of greasy fat and unhealthy seasonings and opt for low-fat and high-fibre ingredients in my next prepared meals. Hence, below oriental Chinese dish - chicken with lemongrass and asparagus seems gratified my need. A good source of dietary fiber, asparagus is an alkaline food which is rich in protein but low in calories and carbohydrates. It is an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, vitamins A, C and K, traces of vitamin B complex, niacin, phosphorus and very low sodium. Highly dense in healthful nutrients that help various ailments, asparagus is used as a tonic to relieve arthritis and rheumatism, cleanses the tissues and muscles of waste, provides regular bowel movement, provides diuretic effect, prevents the progression of cataracts and other eye problems, treats diabetes and heart disease, prevents the dreaded cancer, prevents or dissolves kidney stones and even treats toothache as believed in folk medicine.

This is a Thai-influenced dish, with a generous concoction of lemongrass, ginger, onion, garlic and basil leaves. The addition of vine-ripened tomatoes moistens the dish and lends a taste of the Mediterranen. Cooked quickly to a crisp-tender texture, the crunch of the asparagus contrasted with the chewy texture of the cooked chicken and is tinged with the mild pungency of black pepper, and more dominated by the refreshing lemony essence of lemongrass.

To prepare chicken with lemongrass and asparagus, you'll need below ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass

2 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger

1 onion, sliced

600g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tomatoes, chopped

350g asparagus spears, halved length- and widthways

Chicken marinade :

A pinch of salt

A dash of freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning :

1 tbsp shoyu or tamari sauce (types of Japanese soy sauce, darker in appearance and richer in flavour )

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

A handful of Thai basil leaves, to garnish

Ingredients for Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus

Method :

1. Marinate the chicken cubes with a pinch of salt and a dash of freshly ground black pepper for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat up olive oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat until the oil is swirling hot. Toss in minced garlic, lemongrass, ginger and onion. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes.

3. Add in chicken and stir-fry for about 4-6 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

4. Add in the chopped tomatoes, asparagus, shoyu sauce and freshly ground black pepper. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with Thai basil leaves.

Cooking Tips :

Q : Should asparagus be peeled?

A : Peeling asparagus is recommended for the asparagus with thicker stalks to get rid of woody and fibrous strings. Chop off the bottom inch of the stalk and peel downward from the spears. This process however, can be omitted with the properly selected, thin and fresh asparagus. 

(Refer to About.com for more Asparagus Cooking Tips)

Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus

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Tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) Fish Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) Fish

Being born and bred in northern part of Malaysia, a state called Kedah where it borders Thai, I have the propensity to take hot and sour food to tantalize my taste buds. Sometimes I wonder if it's due to geographical factor that Kedah abounds with hot and sour fare that one can easily hunts down even in the narrow residential alley or this spicy-sour craving is inherent in my nature. Putting these uncertainties aside, one thing for sure, any Thai-or-Nyonya-inspired, -influenced or -originated food that encapsulates subtle and refined combination of herbs and spices to bring out its hot-sour-pungent flavor is captivating me, making me head over heels with the dish, leaving me feeling on cloud nine and wanting for more! Whilst Laksa still top my list, a piping hot bowl of tom yam soup comes to a close second.

My hot-and-sour craving struck me badly today, so instead of my initial intention of pan-frying black pomfret, I reconstituted tom yam (aka tom yum or dom yam) paste into a broth to make tom yam soup to goes with black pomfret, called tom yam pla (tom yum soup with fish). Due to the fact that tom yam paste always comes in handy in my fridge and I just brought over some fresh herbs, chillies and some home-grown greens from my hometown, I whipped this up within 40 minutes with bare minimum ingredient-searching time. It's basically a clear, spicy, sour soup which is the assemblage of fresh lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, galangal, shallots, onions, lime juice, fish sauce, sliced red chilli peppers and a handful of bird's eye chillies to lend an extra spicy kick. Don't forget the final touch which is rather important for me, top the tom yam soup with generous sprinkling of fresh chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Coriander is a palate-teaser for me and it goes well with any dish.

If you're looking for tom yam recipe to cure your (or your the other half) hot and sour food craving, then look no more because this simple recipe has your answer. There may be some truth to the old adage that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Become a discerning wife or girlfriend with below easy how-to recipe, you may have more than his heart. *giggle*

Ingredients :

500g-600g black pomfret (黑鲳鱼), cut across into 2 or 3 portions

2 small brinjals (aka eggplants or aubergines) (茄子), cut into wedges (or 1 long Chinese brinjal)

2 stalks lemongrass (香茅), trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a knife

1 red chilli pepper (Cayenne chili pepper), seeded and sliced

10 bird's eyes chillies, discard stems, keep whole

3 kaffir lime leaves (疯柑叶)

5 slices galangal (南姜)

(Tips: If galangal is not available, then substitute with double amount of ginger. Galangal is whiter in color than ginger but it's much more potent than regular ginger)

3 stalks coriander roots (use the root portion only) (aka cilantro) 芫茜

2 shallots (小葱), peeled and keep whole

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (酸柑汁)

3 tbsp tom yam paste (commercially available in Asian groceries, usually packed in bottle or package)

1 liter chicken stock or water

2 tbsp oil

Ingredients for Tangy Thai Tom Yam Fish

Seasoning :

1 tbsp concentrated chicken stock

2-3 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)

1 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)

Method :

1. Heat up oil in a wok, saute onion, lemongrass, galangal, shallots and tom yam paste for about 2-3 minutes until it exudes aromatic flavors.

2. Pour in fresh chicken stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Add coriander roots, tomato, bird's eye chillies, sliced red chilli peppers, sliced brinjals and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer under medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Stir in lime juice and fish sauce. Put in the black pomfret fish slices and bring to a boil again. Adjust seasoning to taste. Once dished up, sprinkle with coriander leaves on top of the soup. Serve hot with white steamed rice.

Home-cooked Tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) Fish

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Deep-fried Fish Fillets in Breadcrumbs with Basil and Lemon Mayonnaise Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

With dory fillet and basil leaves in fridge, I scoured the world wide web combining these ingredients and eventually this online recipe in delicious magazine caught my eyes. It was well enough for a Friday night dinner, but did little to help me turn last week's languishing basil leaves into something better. 

In contrast to crispy brown breadcrumbs coating outside, the fork-tendered dory fillets were juicy and succulent inside. This entree is not the unusual dish that I'd like to rave and rant about, but the mayonnaise-based dipping sauce which flavors is perked up by lemon zest, fresh basil leaves and lemon juice. The chopped basil leaves interspersed within infuse a hint of pungent flavor which complement well with the intense citrus flavor of the lemon zest.

Step through below recipe to learn how to make deep-fried fish fillets in breadcrumbs with basil and lemon mayonnaise.

Ingredients :

800g dory fillet, sliced into bite-sized pieces (alternatively you can use skinned plaice, lemon sole, flounder, megrim, witch sole or dab fillets)
50g plain flour
2 large eggs, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
30g finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp fresh red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper), chopped
Lemon wedges
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying

For the dipping sauce :
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (the rich outermost part of the rind of a lemon)
25 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Method  :

1. Start off with grating lemon zest (the outermost part of the rind) using a grater. Before zesting, scrub the lemon with a sponge and warm water. Rinse it well and dry it with a paper towel. To zest with fine-toothed grater, just rub the lemon in one direction against the little blades and turn the lemon as you go so that you remove only the yellow part. Carefully zest the lemon leaving the pith (a white, fibrous membrane directly below the zest) on the lemon. This is due to the white pith will give a bitter undertaste.

Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and season to taste. Cover and chill.

How to grate lemon zest and make dipping sauce using a grater

2. To prepare dory fillets' coating,
(i) In a plate, put the flour and set aside.
(ii) In a second shallow plate, pour in the beaten eggs.
(iii) In a third large mixing plate, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, chopped red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper) and a pinch of salt, stir well.

Coat each dory fillet on both sides, one at a time, first in the flour, then the beaten eggs and finally the breadcrumbs (as below sequence, from left to right).

Dory fillets coated in the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs

3. Half-fill a large, deep skillet with sunflower oil and heat up to 190C (To test it, add a cube of bread to the oil. At the right temperature, it will brown in 30 seconds).

4. Deep-fry two pieces of coated dory fillet at a time for two minutes until they turn crispy and golden. Drain on plenty of kitchen paper towels to discard excess oil.

5. Serve hot with the prepared mayonnaise-based dipping sauce and white steamed rice.

Deep-fried Fish Fillets in Breadcrumbs with Basil and Lemon Mayonnaise

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