fish curry soup
(omnivore)

recipe by m-c

just the recipe

what I was looking for

Something spicy but fresh-tasting.

what I made

A seafood curry soup from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer, page 81, made more complex and interesting -- and easier too -- with ingredients from my supermarket.

chit-chat

The Brits and the Australians have introduced me to a dish called a "laksa," and if there's any justice, laksa will soon be as well known among American cooks as a "chili" or a "gumbo." It's halfway between a curry soup and a soupy curry, it always includes noodles, and it's often made with seafood. Good by me.

grades for my version

healthy	A	We're all supposed to eat more seafood.
fast	C	Not speedy, and I made it slower by insisting on good broth and a resting period.
easy	A	Nothing tricky.
cheap	B	It won't break the bank, but it's not cheap.
delicious	A	Divine.

yield

Serves two as the only dish of a supper with a piece of fruit afterwards.

equipment

   a medium-sized pot with a lid
   a sieve
   a pouring bowl
   a food processor
   a small frying pan

the broth

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
fish broth	4 cups made from bouillon cubes	6 cups made from frozen fish stock, bottled clam juice, and fresh shrimp shells	tastier [1]
Notes
[1]	Nigella often uses bouillon cubes where I prefer home-made broth. I don't honestly think home-made is a lot more work.

   Heat the fish stock, clam broth, and shrimp shells (the vexact proportions aren't important) till the shells turn pink, then cook at a low simmer for 3-4 minutes to get every last little bit of goodness out of the shells.

      Pour the broth through a sieve, throw the shrimp shells away, and return the broth to the pot.

the paste

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
chiles	2 long red chiles, seeded	1 green serrano, not seeded	easier [1]
ginger	¾" piece, peeled	1" piece, knobs and skin cut off	easier [2]
preserved shrimp flavoring	1 teaspoon shrimp paste	1 Tablespoon dried shrimp	easier [3]
shallots	8 Thai shallots, peeled	6 large ordinary shallots peeled	easier [4]
turmeric	1 teaspoon ground dried	1 Tablespoon grated fresh	tastier [5]
peanut oil	2 Tablespoons	2 Tablespoons	no change
Notes
[1]	One hot chile with seeds = two (or more) without, and seeding chiles is a pain.
[2]	Now that fresh ginger is no longer more precious than gold, I let myself cut it down rather than peeling it.
[3]	I keep Mexican dried shrimp on hand, so for me it's easier than having to go out looking for shrimp paste.
[4]	As far as I know, a shallot is a shallot is a shallot, but there may be different kinds marketed in England.
[5]	I started using fresh turmeric in February, when our cookbook of the month was Ruta Kehate's 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, and I've never looked back

    Cut the seasonings into small parts and process them to a paste in your food processor. (Besides my regular food processor I have another processor called a Sumeet Multi Grind made especially for making small amounts of spice pastes and rubs. If you cook a lot of recipes from the Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, or Mexico, I warmly recommend the mighty little Sumeet.)

   Slick the bottom of your small frying pan with peanut oil, add the paste, and fry it until it's cooked through and smells strong, 3-4 minutes.

the background flavors

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
unsweetened coconut milk	1 13.75 oz. can	1 13.5 oz. can	no change [1]
lemongrass	1 stalk, cut in 3	1 stalk, cut in 6	tastier [2]
sourness	1 teaspoon tamarind water	2 Tablespoons lime juice	easier [3]
sugar	2 teaspoons	1 Tablespoon	tastier [4]
fish sauce	2 Tablespoons	2 Tablespoons	no change
red bell pepper	---	¼, slivered	healthier
cilantro stems	---	the stems of the leaves below, cut small	healthier
Notes
[1]	This is a recipe, not a chemical formula. For home cooking, there is no difference between 13.75 oz. and 13.5 oz.
[2]	The more surface area exposed, the stronger the flavor. I want pieces that are easy to spot and remove -- a piece of lemongrass in a soupspoon feels like an arrowhead.
[3]	I have a small jar of tamarind paste, but for the life of me I can't remember where.
[4]	I kept tasting and tasting till it seemed right.

Add all these ingredients to the fish broth already in the pot.

Heat the mixture up to a simmer.

Turn the heat off, put the lid on the pot, and let the whole mixture rest till it's at room temperature. This is how to get that "better on the second day" flavor.

the noodles

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
flat rice noodles	9 oz.	7 oz. (half of a 14 oz. package)	no change

   Using the same pouring bowl from above, cover the noodles with cold water and let them sit. (Nigella calls for boiling water, but cold is easier and seems to do the job just as well.

the substance

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
shrimp	9 oz. shelled	9 oz. shelled	no change
more seafood	9 oz. cleaned squid tubes	8 oz. delicatessen calamari salad	easier

Add the shrimp and the salad to the pot and bring it up just to a simmer.

Drain the noodles (again using your sieve) and add them to the pot.

the garnish

ingredients	Nigella	m-c	why?
cilantro	1 bunch, chopped	1 bunch, stemmed and chopped	tastier [1]
bean sprouts	½ cup, blanched	2 cups, raw	healthier, easier, tastier [2]
Notes
[1]	I like the texture better when the stems are cut fine and they cook a little.
[2]	I prefer the sprouts raw, and I want a lot of them.

Garnish however you like, either by stirring the garnishes into the whole pot or by having everybody sprinkle on the kinds and the amounts they like. (For Margaret the second way would be better because J is not fond of cilantro, poor thing.)

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