Spicy Tamarind Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 cups chicken stock
16 small shrimp, cleaned (save the shells for the recipe’s stock)
2 stalks lemongrass
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 cup loosely packed, diced pineapple
4 pieces okra, cut into 4 pieces each
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz. tamarind paste
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups bean sprouts, loosely packed
10 leaves Thai Basil
lime juice, to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a 2 quart saucepan, then add the chopped garlic, lemongrass and cayenne pepper. Stir the mixture briefly, until the garlic starts to brown, then add the tamarind paste, chicken stock and the shrimp shells.

Bring the saucepan to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain into another saucepan and bring to a boil again. Add the shrimp, pineapple, tomato, okra, salt and sugar. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary by adding some lime juice and salt. Add the bean sprouts and serve piping hot, garnished with some of the Thai basil.

Recipe from Chef Viet Tran of New York Citys and Philadelphias Le Colonial Restaurants.