I had this dish in a noodle shop in Australia. When I asked the Thai owner for the recipe, he had an odd reaction; out of nowhere this little guy pulls out a karate move and takes a swing at me. In the end, he chased me out of the kitchen with a cleaver, but not before I swiped the recipe. It was worth it. If you are not able to get your hands on kaffir lime leaves, up the lemongrass to 4 stalks. But do make the effort to try to find them in your area or look for them on the Internet; there really is no substitute for their amazing flavor.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Peel and devein the shrimp. Set the shrimp aside and put the shrimp shells in a soup pot with the chicken stock. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and lime leaves to the pot; this is the flavor base. Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, chili paste, and lime juice. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, until your kitchen smells amazing. Strain the broth into another pot to remove the solid pieces; then add the shrimp, asparagus, and mushrooms. Poach in the simmering soup for 5 minutes. Divide the cooked noodles among dinner bowls, ladle the soup on top, and finish with the peanuts, cilantro, and mint. Banging, baby!
