I woke up today with a craving for a Thai style soup. It's already becoming a hot summer day and I wanted something light, spicy, and super tasty for a late lunch. After looking through my fridge I started pulling out the surplus items crowding the interior.
I had picked up a ton of treats over the last few days from farm markets, local fishermen, and the superb supermarket near me. A small Italian eggplant; a medium zucchini; young Bok Choy; fresh early summer radishes in shades of white, pink, and red; some long, thin, baby carrots; super tart Key limes; and a meaty, white, firm, chunk of haddock.
In the furthest reaches of the back of the fridge lay tubs of assorted Thai curries. I pulled out the Green Curry paste and Tom Ka soup paste. The Tom Ka paste is very basic; a tangy collection of salt, galangal, lemongrass, soybean oil, sugar, and spices. The Green Curry is fragrant and fiery with green chilies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, salt, spices, and galangal.
What else did I need? Of, right... coconut milk from the top closet and soy sauce from the bottom. Finally I gingerly stretched into the back of my cupboard for an often neglected bottle of potent fish sauce.
I proceeded to open the can of coconut milk and pour it into a medium pot, adding two cans of water. Then I added the Tom Ka and Green Curry pastes, the fish and soy sauce, the juice of three Key limes and brought it to a boil. I cut up the assorted veggies and fish and first added the eggplant to the pot, brought it back to a boil, and then dropped it to a fast simmer. When the eggplant started to get translucent around the edges and half cooked I added the rest of the ingredients. In a few minutes it came back to a boil and I then simmered it gently for 10-15 minutes. By then the fish was cooked, as were the vegetables.
I reached deep down into the pot and ladled up two big helpings of the fish and veggies, then filled the bowl with a nice amount of the steaming, tangy, tasty, and quite fragrant liquid. Ummm... Spicy, aromatic, slightly salty; full of fresh vegetables and white fish in the fabulous greenish-white broth. Several bowls later I had some sweat beading my brow, but I was very happy.
I reached deep down into the pot and ladled up two big helpings of the fish and veggies, then filled the bowl with a nice amount of the steaming, tangy, tasty, and quite fragrant liquid. Ummm... Spicy, aromatic, slightly salty; full of fresh vegetables and white fish in the fabulous greenish-white broth. Several bowls later I had some sweat beading my brow, but I was very happy.
Thai Style Tom Ka - Green Curry Fish Soup
5 tablespoons Tom Ka paste
3 tablespoons Green Curry Paste
1 can Coconut Milk
1 small (six inch long) eggplant
6 long, thin, tender baby carrots
6 radishes
6 leaves of young Bok Choy
¾ pound Haddock
juice of 3 Key Limes
½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cans water
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