Food fights happen a lot in the Three Stooges TV shows. My brother and I were huge fans, and most days we raced home after school to watch them. Moe, Larry and Curly made us laugh so hard we cried. Stunning someone by hitting them in the face with a plate of food was hilarious and I itched to have a chance to do it but never dared because my mother was humorless when it came to food. It was for eating, not throwing — until the one evening she actually threw a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. But that’s a story for another day.
This month’s recipe is for eating, not throwing. You won’t want to let go of your bowl when you smell the combination of curry sauce, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro and coconut milk. Once you have tasted a bowl of laksa you will understand why it is such a wildly popular soup eaten across Southeast Asia.
I use the word soup loosely here because you need more than just a spoon to eat it. This version with shrimp, chicken, tofu and noodles is a one-bowl meal in itself. However, there are endless variations so don’t be put off by all the ingredients.
I have included a vegetarian stock recipe below. Boxed stocks are fine in a pinch, but if you have the extra 30 minutes it takes to make this stock. you will be rewarded with a superior-tasting soup.
Claudia Alexander has been happily cooking for friends and family for more than three decades. Owner of Marin Walkies, a dog walking business, she has a bi-weekly food blog,sweetbynuture.com. Contact her at sweetbynurture@gmail.com
RECIPES
Laska
Stock:
6 shallots
2 stalks lemongrass
6 cloves garlic
2-inch piece of ginger skinned
½ bunch of fresh cilantro stems included
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons of yellow curry paste
1 pound shrimp with shells
3 tablespoons of canola oil
8 cups of water
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
7 ounce firm tofu
One can fat-reduced coconut milk
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 limes
6 ounces rice noodles (I used linguini-sized thick noodles)
Make the stock:
Peel and quarter the shallots, chop the lemongrass into thirds, cut the ginger up into six pieces, roughly chop the cilantro, and add them all to a food processor along with the garlic cloves, turmeric and curry paste. Process until the mixture is finely chopped. Set aside.
Peel the shrimp (save shells and tails for the stock) put the shrimp in a covered bowl in the fridge until needed. Place a 3-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. When warm, add the oil and the shrimp shells, toss until fragrant (about 5 minutes), add the shallot lemongrass mixture and stir for about a minute. Now add the water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling water add the noodles and cook about 4 minutes. There are many kinds of rice noodles out there so check the package for instructions on timing. You want them slightly al dente because they will cook a little more in the soup. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
After 30 minutes strain the solids out of the stock, pressing the vegetables to get out as much liquid as you can and pour it back into the original pot.
Now add the chicken, tofu, and fish sauce. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 10 minutes. Pull out the meat and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the coconut milk and shrimp and cook for another three minutes. Toss in the noodles and just simmer to warm them, about 2 minutes. Add the chili garlic sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need a little salt and pepper. Ladle into individual bowls and top with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve extra lime wedges on the side.
Vegetarian stock:
6 shallots -quartered keep skins for stock
2 stalks lemongrass. Take off outer tough leaves, save for stock
4-6 mushrooms quartered
6 cloves garlic
1 celery stock roughly chopped with leaves if possible
2-inch piece of ginger skinned
5 whole black pepper corns
½ bunch of fresh cilantro stems included
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons of yellow curry paste
Peel and quarter the shallots, chop the lemongrass into thirds, cut the ginger up into six pieces, roughly chop the cilantro, and add them all to a food processor along with the garlic cloves, turmeric and curry paste. Process until the mixture is finely chopped. Set aside.
Place a 3-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. When warm add canola oil, skins of shallots, celery, and lemongrass leaves. Cook until the skins and celery start to soften. Add peppercorns and mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes. Add the shallot ginger mixture and stir until fragrant. Add water, bring to a boil and lower to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain stock through sieve, squeezing as much liquid out as possible and return to pot.
