Thai Catfish Soup
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 whole catfish (about 3 pounds), cut into 3 to 4 pieces
8 cups drinking water
10 thinly sliced galangal**
One 2″ fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers and white parts removed; use only the tender green midsection
5 kaffir lime leaves
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1cup tamarind juice
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
15 to 20 bird chiles (Thai chiles) or de arbol, sliced on the diagonal
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
10 pakk chee farang** (Ngo Cai Mint), sliced coarsely across
1-½ cups pakk kayang** (Rau Om Mint) , sliced coarsely across
1 lime, sliced
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir to prevent from burning. When it is golden, add the catfish. Slightly brown it for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
Bring the water to a vigorous boil in a large saucepan. Add the galangal, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes until the water exudes the aroma of the herbs. Lower the heat to medium and season with salt, sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice. Taste for a balance of saltiness, slightly sweet and preferably more sourness. Add the shallot, bird chiles, cherry tomatoes, cover, lower the heat to simmer and let boil for 8-9 minutes. Add pakk chee farang, and pakk kayang, cover and boil for another 1-2 minutes. Serve hot, with lime slices, and preferably with long grain sticky rice.
**These ingredients can be found in most Asian markets.
Recipe from www.sumeiyu.com.