Crites Family Stuff

Ingredients for 3 servings

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup shrimp
• 2 limes
• 1 lemon grass
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 Thai chili peppers
• 1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon
• .5 cup straw mushroom (can) or Enoki mushroom
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 5 sprigs cilantro
• 1 tbsp Nam Prig Pow (Thai chili paste with bean oil)

Steps

1. Start boiling the water in a quart pot. Add Knorr chicken bouillon. Peel and devein the shrimp and set them aside.
2. Cut lemon grass into pieces, 2-3 inches long. Use the back of your knife to pound the lemon grass, just to bruise it to release the flavor. Drop the lemon grass in water and let boil for 5 minutes.
3. Put 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp lime juice into individual bowls you will serve the soup in. Set them aside.
4. Remove the middle stem from the kaffir lime leaves and add the leafy part to the pot.
5. Add drained straw mushrooms or Enoki mushrooms (cut off the bottom root).
6. Add crushed chili (if you don't like it hot, cut down on the chili peppers or do not crush them, just leave them whole for decoration).
7. Let it boil, then add shrimp.
8. Add Nam Prig Pow and stir to dissolve it. Turn off the heat.
9. Serving: Scoop immediately the shrimp, mushroom and liquid into the individual serving bowls (that were set aside). You will see that the broth becomes cloudy because of the lime juice. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. If you use only one big serving bowl, put 3 tbsp fish sauce and 3 tbsp lime juice in the bowl and follow the same steps.

Tips: Be careful, the peppers can be hot. Take a small sip at a time. Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice if it tastes bland. Do not eat lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.

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