astray recipes: Sour catfish soup

Categories: None
Yield: 4 Servings

Measure	Ingredient
1 ounce	Tamarind pulp
4 cups	Hot water
1 tablespoon	Oil
2 tablespoons	Fresh ginger root -- minced
1	Stalk lemongrass -- thinly
	Sliced
1 pinch	Red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons	Fish sauce
	Lemon juice, to taste
½ pounds	Catfish fillets
	Cucumber, for garnish --
	Sliced

1. Soak tamarind pulp in the hot water until it is soft.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, green onions, lemongrass, and hot pepper flakes and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Strain tamarind water through a fine-mesh strainer into the same saucepan. With a wooden spoon, push pulp through strainer into the sauce pan, straining out and discarding seeds and fibers. Add fish sauce to pan.

Simmer 5 minutes and taste for seasoning--it should be tart and slightly hot. Adjust seasonings if necessary. (May be prepared to this point up to an hour ahead.)

4. Have soup at a simmer. Add catfish slices and cook just until opaque white. Serve immediately, garnished with cucumber slices.

Recipe By : the California Culinary Academy From: Gary Watson <watson@...> Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 09:09:32 -0800 (

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sour catfish soup