Ingredients
| about 1¼ cups (300ml) light chicken stock | |
| pinch of salt | |
| 5 (about 45g) Thai shallots, peeled | |
| 6 bird’s-eye chillies | |
| 10 mouse shit chillies (small, hot, red chillies from Thailand) | |
| 2 stalks lemongrass | |
| 5 lime leaves, torn and crumpled | |
| 100g market-fresh fish, ideally white-fleshed and not too oily | |
| 2-3 tablespoons good-quality fish sauce | |
| pinch of unpolished sugar | |
| ½ cup picked holy basil | |
| fresh lime juice to taste (roughly 2 limes, depending on the variety and season) | |
| 1 small dried bird’s-eye chilli |
Instructions
| 1. | Bring the stock to the boil and add the pinch of salt. |
| 2. | Using a stone mortar and pestle, bruise the shallots, chillies and lemongrass separately. Add the bruised vegetables and lime leaves to the stock and simmer until fragrant, about 10 minutes. |
| 3. | Add the sliced fish and leave to poach gently, seasoning with some fish sauce and the smallest pinch of sugar. |
| 4. | When the fish is almost cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes, add the holy basil and remove from the heat. Ladle into a bowl and season with lime juice and dried bird’s-eye chilli. |
| 5. | Taste before serving and adjust the seasoning accordingly. It should be hot, sour, and salty. |
Edited extract reproduced with permission from The Recipe, Josh Emettwith photography by Kieran E. Scott, published by Upstart Press, $49.99.
Cover copyright © Josh Emett
Design copyright © Blackwell and Ruth Ltd, 2019
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