Tom Yam Goong

Tom Yam is probably the most famous Thai soup – flavourful, spicy, sour and fragrant. Here’s a recipe for Tom Yam Goong – Tom Yam with prawns.

Preparation time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 2 people

Ingredients:
• 1 red shallot, cut into wedges
• Ground root from one stalk of coriander
• 1 lemongrass stalk, cut into short lengths
• 4 slices of galangal
• 60 grams of straw mushrooms
• ½ tablespoon of chili paste
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• ½ tablespoon of sugar
• ¼ tablespoon of salt
• 4 river prawns
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 chilies, cut in half
• 400 millilitres of chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice

Directions
1. Heat up the chicken stock in a saucepan.
2. Add the shallots, coriander roots, galangal and lemongrass, and simmer for two minutes.
3. Add the straw mushrooms and tomato pieces, and simmer for another two minutes.
4. Season with the fish sauce, salt, sugar and chili paste.
5. Add the prawns and boil until they are cooked.
6. Add the kaffir lime leaves and chilies.
7. Season with the lime juice and serve immediately.

Tips from the chef

• Use river prawns for a more intense shrimp taste.
• For more flavor, crush the galangal and lemongrass before adding them to the soup.
• Use fresh ingredients, and add them to the soup in the right order. The lime juice should be added right at the end.

Meet the chef

Anut Koonmark is a native of Srisaket, in the northeast of Thailand. He joined the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa recently as Executive Sous Chef. After graduating in kitchen training from the Tourism Authority of Thailand Training Institute in Bangkok in 1992, he started work in the kitchens of the Oriental Hotel.

Since then, he has worked with many leading hotels in Thailand and overseas, including the Regent in Bangkok, the Tinan Dynasty Hotel & Casino in the USA, The Peninsula and the Merchant Court in Bangkok, and the Roxy Park in Singapore. Before moving to Phuket, he was Executive Sous Chef at the Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa. Chef Anut told Phuket.com, “My specialty is Thai cuisine, which is available at Ginja Taste, the resort’s Thai restaurant. We also do Thai cuisine for special themed events for guests, and for banquets.”

When did you start working at the JW Marriott Phuket?
On August 15 this year.

When did you start cooking?
When I was seven years old – I made an omelet for my younger sister.

When did cooking become your career?
In 1993, when I started as a commis chef 2 at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.

What is the best part of being a chef?
It’s a challenging job. I am busy all the time. It is also important that I stay up to date with the latest trends in cuisine.

What do you most like to eat, and why?
I like a Caesar salad. It’s simple to make and it’s healthy.

What is your top priority at work?
The Number 1 thing is to have great teamwork. Every day, when I arrive at the resort, the first thing I do is to check with my team to see what support they need from me.

If you weren’t a chef, what other career would you choose?
I’d be a businessman, maybe a franchise owner.