Tom Kha huh? Tom Kha Het. It's a Thai soup, its name means "boiled galangal mushrooms". I've had it in a couple different Thai restaurants and it's always been wonderful, so I decided to try my hand at it.
To further add to my evening of culinary experimentation, I decided to make a ceviche, something I had also never done before.
No, I didn't get sick. Neither did my husband. And everything tasted great.
Crustaceans and molluscs and fungi, oh my!
Sorry, had to.
Anyway, let's have at some nutritional facts:
Scallops are rich-tasting little sea morsels that are brimming with Vitamin B12, tons of minerals and plenty of protein.
Shrimp too are rich in B12, minerals and protein, but also have healthy doses of Niacin (B3) and Vitamin D (which this country is apparently having issues with, so eat up).
Did you know that Saffron is loaded with Manganese? This glorious stuff gave my ceviche that vibrant golden hue, by the way.
Lavender, one of my very very favorite flowers, has been used medicinally for centuries as an anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic. It's also used in aromatherapy as a relaxation and sleep aid. I keep a little bottle of lavender oil to trickle into my bath water, I can attest to the wonder of it. Note: Pure lavender oil is extremely potent stuff and must be dilluted if you intend to use it. Use it in base lotions and bath water, do not cook with it!
What you cook with are the flowers, all dried up and bottled. You can generally find it in the spice aisle of your local grocery store. Might want to call ahead first.
I'm rambling here, let's get on with the cooking (or acidic denaturing of proteins, in the case of the ceviche). This will make two servings:
1/4 lb. sea scallops, cut into quarters (to be honest, I wanted to buy the smaller bay scallops and leave them whole, but my grocery store only had them frozen in the back, and I needed them fresh)
1/3 lb. large shrimp, cut into pieces to match the size of your scallops
5 oz. coconut milk (as a wise man would say, this is a "sometimes food")
Enough chicken stock to achieve your desired soup consistency
1 and 1/2 Tbsp. ground lemongrass (if you can find this stuff fresh, more power to you, I just bought it in a tube next to all the fresh herbs)
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 and 1/2 tsp. of anchovy paste (use fish sauce if you have that around, but it's basically just anchovy, salt and water anyway)
4 cremini mushroom caps, chopped (I would have used oyster or shitake mushrooms for this if I were less budget conscious)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of chopped green onions
A palmful of chopped cilantro
1/2 lemon's juice
1 whole lime's juice
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (you can substitute these for some sliced serrano chiles if you really want this soup to bite back, I just wanted a little burn)
1 pinch of saffron, soaked for a couple minutes in 1 Tbsp. of very hot water (this stuff is measured in pinches because it's worth its weight in gold. Trust me, a little goes a long way, and it's worth every penny)
1/2 tsp. dried lavender, crushed
To taste salt, fresh black pepper, whatever else you see fit
You might be asking yourself "hey, where's the galangal?"...well, I don't know, but I'll tell you where it's not! Any grocery store near my house. I substituted it for ginger, even though most Thai cooks will frown on that. Sorry! Tasted mighty good to me either way.
The ceviche will need to marinate for up to 12 hours for complete doneness. If you just want it about half-opaque like mine was, aim for 3 or 4. To make the marinade, combine all of the lemon juice and half of the lime juice into a bowl, add a dash of the sesame oil, the saffron and the water you bloomed it in, the lavender, a small palmful of the green onions and a little salt and pepper. Mix well, make sure every piece is well coated. Keep it in the refridgerator, stiring once an hour or so.
When your ceviche looks and feels right to you, start your soup. Heat the remaining sesame oil in a sauce pan (medium low) and add your garlic. Get that a little soft, then add the mushrooms. Cook those until they're brown, add the red pepper and some black pepper. If you're using fresh chiles, they'll go in with the mushrooms.
When the mushrooms look good, add your coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger and anchovy paste (or fish sauce). Add chicken stock until your soup reaches a thickness you like. That will need to simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the remaining green onion and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste the soup and salt accordingly.
Add the cilantro and reserved lime juice to your soup just before serving. I garnished my ceviche with a little lime wedge and some green onion.
Enjoy! Do come back.
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