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Prawn and Oyster Mushroom Soup August 14, 2008 Even when the offspring have flown the family nest, they often have keenly developed homing instincts. They are apt to arrive on the doorstep when meal preparations are underway and it would be rude not to invite them to stay - unless it’s a matter of two pork cutlets not really being satisfactorily divisible by three. It’s easy enough to empty a can of beans into the casserole to bulk it out, to peel a couple more potatoes, or add another vegetable to the side dishes. But there are also days when you can have too much of a good thing, when you’ve catered for four but due to work rosters, there are only two of you at the dinner table. Some men regard it as a personal challenge to do the decent thing and eat on behalf of absent family. Bang go tomorrow’s potential leftovers. In winter this can mean a certain thickening of the waistline. It is time to demonstrate that it is not necessary to eat a horse to satisfy evening hunger pangs. Well, that was the theory behind today’s dish - a warming bowl of hot and sour soup with plenty of flavour, a reasonable serve of protein but no other excesses. And there was a large bowl of winter fruit on the table in case of an emergency. No one starved.
Prawn and Mushroom Soup 400g green prawns Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and set aside. Devein the prawns, rinse and refrigerate until required. Break up the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based pan then throw in the prawn heads and shells and fry over a medium heat for five minutes, pressing the heads down to release the juices. Do not burn. Meanwhile peel the tough outer leaves from the lemongrass then bash the stalk with a meat mallet to release the flavour. Discard the stems from the kaffir lime leaves Deglaze the pan with half a cup of water then add the remaining water, the fish sauce, the bruised lemongrass and the kaffir lime leaves. Cut a slit in the end of the chillies so they remain whole but release their flavour. Simmer for 45 minutes until the liquid has reduced a little and the flavours have developed. Check the seasoning, adding a dash more fish sauce if further salt is required. Remove out the prawn debris and other seasonings with a perforated spoon then line a large sieve with muslin or with a new disposable open-weave kitchen cloth, place it over a bowl and strain the soup. Clean the pot and pour in the strained broth. Bring to the boil then add the prawns, the oyster mushrooms and the rinsed noodles. Simmer for about three minutes until the prawns are cooked then add the lime juice. Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with shredded Vietnamese mint or fresh coriander. Serves two, or four as a soup course.
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