By Yanni-  www.fishermansbelly.com

California is now getting five years of rain in one winter. The constant rain and never ending swells out of the west are making fishing tough for all of us. However, just like the Boy Scouts, we fishermen are prepared with frozen fillets stocked in our freezers. It’s time to grab a fillet, make a pot of fish soup, sit by the fire place and reminisce about the last time you went fishing.

Here’s a fish soup recipe comes straight from Thailand. It includes shrimp, curry, coconut milk and an assortment of vegetables. Enjoy this soup, close your eyes, and image yourself at the Thai Buddhist temple where you can ask: Will the California sun come back so I can go fishing again?

Thai Curry Shrimp & Fish Soup (serves 4)

This recipe includes shrimp. I always buy wild caught shrimp, preferably from the Gulf of Mexico. 

1 lb (favorite fish) fillet cut into 1” cubes

1 lb shrimp, deveined

6 cups of chicken stock

Salt

Coarse black pepper

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 large carrot, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

2 tablespoons curry powder

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 lime juiced

1 package buck wheat noodles, 11oz (optional: rice noodles)

2 cans of coconut milk, 12 oz each

1 bundle of green onions chopped

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1. Start by bringing the chicken stock to a boil.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in another stock pot, then saute the onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, and red bell peppers for 10-15 minutes over a medium heat. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Add the curry powder and continue to cook, allowing the curry to infuse the sauteed vegetables for 5 minutes. Now, add the hot chicken stock, Asian fish sauce, coconut milk, buck wheat noodles. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Add the fish and shrimp. Cook for no more than 3-4 minutes, or until both the fish and shrimp go opaque.

5. Before serving, taste check the saltiness of the soup. Add salt if required. Serve with green onions and black pepper sprinkled on top. Enjoy