Thai Style Fish Soup

I investigated my local oriental shop and was amazed at how cheap it was compared to supermarkets.  For example, 99p for 4 lemongrass stalks, £2.50 for 250g of cashew nuts.  It costs £4.50 for 300g in Sainsbury’s!  It was called a wholesaler but you could buy in small quantities.

I made the fish stock in advance as I don’t like processed stock and usually contains yeast.

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Base:

1 stalk of lemongrass bashed with a rolling pin

1 birds eye chilli, stalk removed

2cm root ginger peeled

1 clove garlic peeled

1/2 lime (juice from)

3 lime leaves

Coriander stalks from 1 handful of fresh coriander

Herby tops from the fennel bulb

Other ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions

1 fennel bulb

2 pak choi

250g any white fish

1 litre fish stock

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 lime

Salt and pepper

To serve

1 large handful of beansprouts chopped into thirds

1 large handful fresh coriander leaves chopped

100g chopped cashew nuts

1.  Begin by heating the oil in a large saucepan
2. Then put all of the base ingredients into a chopper or blender and blitz until fine
3. Finely slice the spring onion.  When the oil is hot, turn down to medium and saute the onion for 5 minutes
4. Slice the fennel in half lengthways and remove the core from each half.  Finely slice and shred the fennel into bite sized strips.
5. Add to the onion and cook for another 2 minutes
6. Add the base and saute for 30 seconds longer
7. Then add the fish stock, coconut milk and juice from the other half of the lime.
8. Bring to the boil and season to taste
9. Whilst it is boiling chop the fish into bite sized chunks and thinly slice the pak choi from top to tail and once boiled, turn the soup down to a simmer.
10. Add the fish and pak choi for 4 minutes until the fish is cooked all the way through but still maintaining its shape.
11. Take off the heat and add chopped coriander, cashew nuts and beanspouts to serve.