Coconut Ginger Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lblarge shrimp, peeled and deveined shells reserved
• 2 tspneutral oil
• 1 smallshallot, thinly sliced
• 2-inch pieceginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 stalklemongrass, smashed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 4 clovesgarlic, smashed
• 1 smallThai chili, halved optional
• 4 cupschicken or vegetable stock
• 1 canfull-fat coconut milk 13.5 oz
• 8 ozcremini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tsplight brown sugar
• 1lime, zest and juice
• 1 small handfulcilantro, chopped
• 1 small handfulThai basil leaves
• 2scallions, thinly sliced
• to servejasmine rice or rice noodles optional

Method

1. 01

   Heat the neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the reserved shrimp shells and toast, stirring, until they turn deep pink and the kitchen smells of the sea, two to three minutes. The shells are the entire premise; most cooks throw away the very thing that makes a thin soup taste like a real broth.

2. 02

   Add the shallot, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and chili if using. Cook gently for two minutes more — the aromatics should soften but not color.

3. 03

   Pour in the stock and the coconut milk. Bring to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for fifteen minutes. The broth will thicken slightly and pick up the layered perfume of every aromatic in the pot.

4. 04

   Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract everything. Discard the solids. The broth should now be golden, fragrant, and silky.

5. 05

   Return the broth to a low simmer. Add the mushrooms and cook for three minutes, until just tender.

6. 06

   Add the shrimp. Cook just until they turn pink and curl, ninety seconds to two minutes. Pull from the heat the moment they look done — they keep cooking in the hot broth, and overcooked shrimp turn rubbery the second you look away.

7. 07

   Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Taste — the broth should hold salt, sweet, and acid in even tension.