Creamy Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon with Shrimp-Head Stock

Method

1. Twist the heads off the shrimp and keep them. Peel the bodies, leaving the tails on, then cut along the back and remove the vein. Keep the heads and shells. Bash the lemongrass and cut it diagonally into 4 cm pieces, slice the galangal thinly and tear the lime leaves off their ribs. Tear the oyster mushrooms into strips along their grain.

2. Heat the oil in a 18 cm pot, add the shrimp heads and shells and fry over medium-high heat for 4 min. Press the heads firmly with a ladle to squeeze out the orange head fat. It is ready when the oil turns bright orange and smells toasty.

   Add in this stepCooking oil 1½ tbspLarge head-on shrimp (king or tiger prawns) 300 g

   medium-high heat

3. Pour in the water, bring it up over high heat for about 6 min, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 min, skimming off any foam. Strain through a sieve, pressing the heads hard before discarding them. This is your shrimp stock.

   Add in this stepWater 850 ml

   high heat→medium-low heat

4. While the stock simmers, put the unpeeled shallots and the chilies in a dry pan and roast over medium heat for 4 min, rolling them now and then. When they are blackened in spots and the shallots feel soft, take them out, peel and halve the shallots and lightly crush the chilies.

   Add in this stepSmall shallots 2Thai bird's eye chilies 4

   medium heat

5. Return the stock to the pot with the lemongrass, galangal, half the lime leaves and the charred shallots and simmer over medium heat for 4 min to infuse.

   Add in this stepLemongrass stalks 2Galangal slices 6Makrut lime leaves 3

   medium heat

6. Add the mushrooms and chili paste, stir to dissolve and cook over medium heat for 2 min.

   Add in this stepOyster mushrooms (or straw mushrooms) 120 gNam prik pao (Thai chili paste in oil) 1½ tbsp

   medium heat

7. Add the shrimp and cook over medium heat for 2 min. When they turn pink and start to curl, reduce to low heat and stir in the evaporated milk. Only warm it until it steams, then turn off the heat; boiling hard after adding the milk can make it split.

   Add in this stepEvaporated milk (or whole milk) 80 ml

   medium heat→low heat

8. Off the heat, stir in the fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, charred chilies and remaining lime leaves, then taste. Sour and salty should be bright and clear, with the sweetness just rounding it off in the background. Top generously with cilantro and serve straight away.

   Add in this stepFish sauce 1½ tbspPalm sugar (or coconut sugar) 1 tspFreshly squeezed lime juice 2 tbspMakrut lime leaves 3Cilantro sprigs 3