XO Spicy Shrimp Soup

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 10 shrimp(s), raw, peeled, without tail, approx. 20 to 22 cm, frozen
• 1 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• 20 g glass noodles (made from corn), thin threads
• 30 g onion(s), red, small
• 15 g garlic clove(s)
• 5 m.-large tomato(s)
• 15 g spice lily (aromatic ginger)
• 10 g ginger
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green
• 2 Pepper, red, long, mild
• 3 g shrimp paste, Asian (see note)
• 2 tsp umami seasoning (red powder)
• 3 tsp XO sauce, medium hot
• 4 tbsp fish sauce, light
• 250 g coconut water
• 2 tbsp coconut milk, 24% fat
• 2 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• n. B. Thai basil leaves
• 3 tbsp sesame oil, dark

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

A robustly spicy appetizer with large shrimp. Served with rice, it makes a main course. Recipe from Bali, Indonesia.

Make a 5 mm deep cut along the back of the thawed prawns down to the tail. If necessary, remove the grey-brown intestines. Rinse the prawns, drain well, and dry, then rub them with the rice wine. Soak the glass noodles in water for 10 minutes, trim with scissors, strain, and set aside. For the broth, peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic cloves. Remove the stems from the washed tomatoes, quarter them lengthwise, remove the green stem base, and cut the quarters crosswise into thirds. Wash, peel, and thinly slice the lily and galangal roots. Thinly slice the washed chili crosswise, leaving the seeds on and discarding the stems. Cut the washed chili peppers crosswise into pieces about 1 cm wide, leaving the seeds on and discarding the stems. Chop the shrimp paste. Place all the ingredients for the broth in a blender and blend at full speed until smooth. Pour the puree into a pot and simmer for 15 minutes. To garnish, wash and chop the Thai basil leaves. Heat the sesame oil in a pan over moderate heat. Add the shrimp and fry until pinkish-light brown on both sides. Ladle the broth into serving bowls and add the shrimp and sesame oil. Sprinkle with the Thai basil leaves, serve, and enjoy as an appetizer. Note: Shrimp paste (Indonesian: Terasi Udang) was a fermented paste made from shrimp and sablefish. It was sold freshly fermented at fish markets and contributed to the aroma of Asian markets. Today, it can be purchased in blocks, dehydrated, in quantities of 50g and up, in any supermarket in Indonesia. The proportion of shrimp determines the price and flavor.