Well, after being struck down with the lurgy since Xmas (everyone’s doing it Daaarling) it’s time i got back to this blogging thing. The road to recovery has of course been assisted by lots of healing food, and a few OTC meds. With limited taste buds, there was a lot of garlic and chilli going into my dishes but it seemed to do the trick.
Thai prawn laksa – not 100% accurate rendition but basically thinly sliced thumb sized piece of ginger, a fat clove of garlic, 1 chilli (inc. seeds if you like it hot) and coriander stalks from a small bunch sweated in a pan with a little oil to just take the sting out of the garlic. Add the solids from a can of coconut milk (should be about half the can – if not, top up with some of the ‘water’) and bring up to a simmer. Add raw prawns (thawed if frozen) and a handful of frozen peas or other green bean-like legume. Sir and bring back to a simmer. When the prawns turn opaque they’ll be done. Taste seasoning – add a good pinch of salt and sugar. If it’s got a bit too thick you can add more of the coconut milk. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the pan.
To serve, pour over cooked egg or rice noodles and pop a wedge of lime on top to add as desired. Sprinkle over some chopped coriander leaves if you got them for that ‘I-care’ effect. You should have a steaming bowl of noodle and prawn with a bit of broth left at the bottom to shlurp up at the end.
Can use chicken instead if you prefer, very thinly sliced. It’ll take a bit longer to cook through than the prawns but if you cut it nice and thin you’ll be able to see when it’s changed colour (about 10 minutes). Or used cooked chicken and heat thoroughly in the coconut soup. In either case, let it come up to a simmer BEFORE adding the peas to the pan. The quantity of ginger, garlic and chilli and be adjusted to your preference so the about amounts are just a guideline to get started.