Hot and Spicy Seafood Soup Recipes

Ingredients :

4 red chilies, seeded and roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 piece blacan, the size of a stock cube

1 lemon grass stalk, chopped

1 small piece fresh root ginger, roughly chopped

6 macadamia nuts or almonds

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 cups stock or water

2.5 cups coconut milk

fish sauce (see method)

12 king prawns, peeled and deveined

8 scallops

8 oz prepared squid, cut into rings

12 oz rice vermicelli or rice noodles, soaked in warm water until soft

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lime halves, to serve.

For the Garnish:

1/4 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

2 red chilies, seeded and finely sliced

2 tbsp mint leaves

2 tbsp fried shallots or onions

In a blender or food processor, process the chilies, onion, blacan, lemon grass, ginger and nuts until smooth in texture. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chili paste and fry for 6 minutes. Stir in the paprika and turmeric and fry for about 2 minutes more.

Add the stock or water and the coconut milk to the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce. Season the seafood with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the seafood and fry quickly for 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Add the noodles to the soup and heat through. Divide among individual serving bowls. Place the fried seafood on top, then garnish with the cucumber, chilies, mint and fried shallots or onions. Serve with the limes.

Serves 4

Blacan (Belacan) is dried shrimp or prawn paste. It is sold in small blocks and you will find it in oriental supermarkets.

For a special occasion serve creamy rice noodles in a spicy coconut-flavored soup, topped with seafood. There is a fair amount of work involved in the preparation but you can make the soup base ahead.

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