Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Jessica Leonhard of South Bend, Indiana for this not-so-true
food funny:

My mom always had a problem with patience when it came to ketchup.
She couldn't stand how slowly it flowed out of the bottle, especially
when it was just opened for the first time. When I was about seven
Mom opened a new bottle of ketchup and was doing her usual shaking of
the bottle. Impatient as always, she asked me to answer the doorbell
as she smacked the bottom of the bottle trying to entice the ketchup
out. I could hear the "slap-slap-slap" of her palm on the bottle
bottom as I pulled open the front door to see Father Francis Early on
the steps. "Is your mother home?" asked our pastor. I nodded.
"She's in the kitchen, hitting the bottle."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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If you live in the United States you have probably never eaten a fresh
(never frozen) shrimp unless you own a shrimp boat or know someone
who does. The shrimp in your fish market's cases was almost surely
delivered frozen and thawed in the store, so my advice is to buy your
shrimp frozen and thaw it at home immediately before you use it. You
can even add them frozen to some dishes, including this Vietnamese-
style soup.

Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

6-12 oz (170-335 g) thin rice noodles
5 cups (1.25 L) Vietnamese-style chicken stock (see below)
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised and coarsely chopped,
or 1/2 tsp (2 ml) grated lemon zest
12-16 oz (335-450 g) shrimp, peeled, shells reserved
Hot red or green chile pepper such as Thai bird, hontaka,
or jalapeno, finely chopped, to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups (500 ml) bean sprouts
2 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh basil leaves (Thai basil of possible)
1/2 cup (125 ml) cilantro (coriander) leaves

Bring 1 gallon (4 L) of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add
the noodles. Soak until the noodles are tender, 5 to 10 minutes (see
package directions). Drain and divide the noodles between 4 to 6
individual soup bowls. Meanwhile, simmer the stock, lemon grass, and
reserved shrimp shells in a large pot over moderate heat for 15
minutes. Add the hot chile and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain,
discard the solids, and return the stock to the pot. Immediately
before serving, bring the stock to a simmer and add the shrimp, lime
juice, salt, and pepper and cook just until the shrimp are firm and
opaque, about 2 minutes. Divide the beans sprouts and scallions
between the soup bowls and ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish
with the fresh herbs. Serves 4 to 6.

Vietnamese-Style Chicken Stock

5 cups (1.25 L) canned low-sodium chicken broth
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
A 2-inch (5 cm) piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 whole star anise*
3 Tbs (45 ml) Asian fish sauce*
1 Tbs (15 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar

* Available in finer supermarkets and Asian specialty shops

Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.
Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Strain, discard the solids, and return
the stock to the pot. Keep warm until ready to use, or store
refrigerated or frozen. Makes about 5 cups (1.25 L).
Received on Tue Jun 8 09:54:18 2004