Tom Yum Shabu-Shabu

Method

1. Soak the rice noodles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife and cut it into 5 cm lengths, tear the lime leaves off their central rib, slice the ginger thinly and lightly crush the broth chillies. Cut along the back of each prawn and pull out the dark vein; keep the pork in the fridge until you eat.

2. Nam jim dip: chop the garlic and dip chillies very finely or pound them in a mortar, then stir in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves, and add the coriander. Sour, salty and hot should all be bold and balanced; taste and adjust with lime or sugar. Don't touch your eyes after handling chillies.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves (for the dip) 2Bird's eye chillies (for the dip) 2Lime juice (for the dip) 3 tbspFish sauce (for the dip) 2 tbspSugar (for the dip) 1 tspChopped coriander (cilantro) 2 tbsp

3. Put the stock, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger and broth chillies in a 22 cm pot and bring to the boil over high heat. Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 min to draw out the aromas. These aromatics are for flavour only and are not eaten.

   Add in this stepChicken stock 1,000 mlLemongrass stalks 2Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves 4Fresh ginger (or galangal, if available) 15 gBird's eye chillies (for the broth) 3

   high heat→medium-low heat

4. Add the broth fish sauce and sugar, the halved cherry tomatoes and the mushrooms, and simmer over medium heat for 3 min. Lower the heat, squeeze in the broth lime and taste; lime juice turns bitter if boiled, so always add it last. Move the pot to a portable burner on the table.

   Add in this stepFish sauce (for the broth) 1½ tbspSugar (for the broth) 1 tspCherry tomatoes 6Button or oyster mushrooms 120 gLime (for the broth) 1

   medium heat

5. Set the heat to medium-low heat to keep the broth at a gentle simmer. Swish each slice of pork for 30–60 seconds until completely white with no pink; leave the prawns in for 1½–2 minutes, until pink and opaque all over and curled into a C. Bok choy needs only 1 minute. Dip everything in the nam jim, and use separate chopsticks for raw meat and prawns.

   Add in this stepThin-sliced pork shoulder for shabu-shabu 200 gPrawns, peeled and deveined 150 gBaby bok choy 2

   medium-low heat

6. To finish, drain the soaked rice noodles, add them to the broth and cook over medium heat for 2 min until tender, then ladle into bowls with the broth. Fish out the lemongrass and lime leaves, and add a spoonful of leftover nam jim if you like.

   Add in this stepDried flat rice noodles 100 g

   medium heat