Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

Way back in the day when I first started learning how to cook, I began by learning Asian cuisine. You see, I had gotten married and one of the neat things about Ms Cocktail is that she is a fantastic cook. It was she that gave me the bug to learn more about food and all that goes into it. It was then that we discovered Martin Yan and his national Public Television show, Yan Can Cook. We promptly went out and bought a slew of his cookbooks (farther back in the day a group of friends and myself came to the somewhat logical conclusion that a slew is four of something just like a couple is two and several is three) and proceeded to learn the art of cooking through his eyes.

One of the first recipes we came across was this one for Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup. I have a thing for Hot and Sour Soup and this seemed like a very easy version to try and put together. I quickly discovered several things. 1) This recipe is very easy. 2) This recipe is nothing like the Hot and Sour Soup I thought I was making. 3) This recipe is freaking delicious.

As with all things, we move on and we haven’t made this recipe in many years. Much to my surprise, I came home last Tuesday to find that the lovely Ms Cocktail had broken out this recipe as treat for us. As always, it came out fantastic and it inspired me to share it with you. The secret to this recipe is the lemongrass. You want to make sure that you bruise it up by whacking it with the back side of your knife or cleaver but not to beat it up so much that little pieces come off and into the soup. I’ve also added a twist on the preparation of the shrimp that adds a nice visual element to the finished soup.

Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

1/2 lb medium raw shrimp (Author’s note: Medium shrimp should be 41-50 count.)
1 Tbs vegetable oil
5 cups chicken broth (Author’s note: This is definitely a spot for home made chicken broth. You want low or no salt and a light consistency. FYI a broth is made with meat, a stock is made with bones.)
2 stalks lemongrass, crushed
2 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice (juice from one small lime)
Peel from 1/2 lime
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper cut in half length wise, seeded and destemmed
1/2 cup straw mushrooms (The author is still noting things: These are virtually impossible to find fresh, canned is fine.)
1 Tbs fish sauce

Garnish
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 Tbs coarsely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tbs coarsely chopped mint leaves
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper seeded and slivered

Shell the shrimp, rinse the shells and pat them dry. Cut the entire shrimp in half lengthwise. Remove the sand vein.

Heat a large pot over high heat then add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat the entire bottom. Add the shrimp shells and cook until they turn bright pink, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, lemongrass, lime peel and pepper then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the broth, discarding the seasonings. Return the broth to the pot and heat to simmering. Add the shrimp and straw mushrooms and cook until the shrimp curl up and turn pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, mint leaves and peppers.