Tom Kha Pladuk(Catfish Soup)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Tom Kha Pladuk (Catfish Soup)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cat fish (about half a pound prepared
weight)
2 cups fish stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon kha (galangal) -- julienned
1 tablespoon takhrai (lemon grass) -- thinly sliced
1 tablespoon bai phak chi (coriander/cilantro leaves)
1 tablespoon prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) -- thinly sliced
4 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons lime juice


Method

Bring the stock to a simmer.

Add the galangal, lemon grass, coriander, chilis, fish sauce and lime juice, an
d bring back to the simmer.

Clean the fish and cut it into 1" steaks, then divide them, removing the bones.

Add the fish to the soup, and the coconut milk and bring back to a very gentle
simmer, and poach the fish for 3-4 minutes (until just cooked).

NOTES:
There are two staple soups in Thai cuisine: tom yam is a hot spicy clear soup w
ith elements of sweet and sour flavors added. Tom kha is a milder soup with coc
onut milk and galangal (kha) dominating rather than the fiery prik (chili) of t
he tom yam.

Because it is milder tom khas are often made with chicken or pork, but most com
mon in Thailand are varieties using seafood (especially shrimp, squid, or fish
such as red snapper or catfish) or vegetables (especially medleys of mushrooms,
tom kha hed).

The catfish can be "crisped" by quickly, and briefly, deep frying it in very ho
t oil, but this variation is based on simply poaching the fish in the soup.

In Thailand the fish is cleaned, and then poached whole (with the head), then r
emoved from the soup, and cut into bite sized pieces which are returned to the
soup for serving. The method here is a little simpler, in that it doesn't invol
ve handling the hot fish.

Thais eat the galangal, which is cut into thin matchstick pieces. However I hav
e noticed that many western diners prefer to discard the galangal and so it may
be wiser to leave the galangal in thin slices.

Similarly the lemon grass is eaten, but you may prefer to cut it into 2" length
s, and crush them with a mallet. These may then be discarded by the diner.





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NOTES : Ingredients