Aromatic Coconut Soup with Prawns & Coriander

Serves 6
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients for Aromatic Coconut Soup with Prawns & Coriander

12 large raw prawns
40g extra virgin coconut oil
3 large golden shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
60g ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 table spoon of ground turmeric
1 long fresh red chilli, coarsely chopped (or more if you like things hot)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 lemongrass stalks, pale ends only crushed
4 kaffir lime leaves crushed
½ cup coriander roots and stalks, rinsed well
2 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups (500ml) coconut milk
2 table spoons fish sauce
2 table spoons lime juice
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup coriander leaves
3 table spoons of fried shallots (available from Asian supermarkets)

Method for Aromatic Coconut Soup with Prawns & Coriander

Peel the prawns leaving the tails and heads on.

Use a skewer to devein the prawns, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric, chilli, coriander seeds, lemongrass and lime leaves, coriander roots and stalks and cook for 3 –4 minutes or until aromatic.

Add the stalk, and bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stand for 20 minutes before straining. Discard the solids then return the soup to a clean pan. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice and season to taste.

Just before serving, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Cook prawns in 2 batches, for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove the heads and tails, then cut the prawns half lengthwise.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Add the prawns then scatter with coriander seeds and fried shallots.

For more recipes from Maggie Beer Foundation visit her website here.