Tom Yum Style Scallop Bits-que
(Seafood | Contains Dairy | Gluten-Free | Spicy)
Think Thailand, think heat. It’s hard to imagine how a country that is very much swathed in thick humidity and year-round warmth loves its chillies and hot spices so much! I’m in this odd food spell too. Every time I’m in Bangkok, despite the sweltering heat, I’d go straight for the tom yum goong, slurping up every bit of the piquant and tangy feast of flavours! The words “tom yum” are derived from two Thai words: “tom” and “yum”. “Tom” refers to the boiling process, while “yum” refers to a kind of Laotian and Thai spicy and sour salad. Thus, “tom yum” loosely translates to a hot and sour soup. Simultaneously salty, sour, sweet and spicy, the soup originates from Central Thailand. What I love most about tom yum goong is the how the flavors of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilli padi, pungent fish sauce and fresh lime juice converge to create such a healthy broth that awakens all senses!
So, I’m all up for a tom-yum-inspired soup! In my quest to jazz up the recipe, I chanced upon @misstamchiak’s blog post on Bangkok’s claypot of piping hot tom yum porridge with river prawns. At that moment, I had been sick with a bad cold and all I wanted was a comforting bowl of porridge. As I could hardly taste my food, I was craving for something spicy and zesty. The porridge would have been perfect! This SouperChef Special combines three very unique variations—tom yum goong X tom yum porridge X TSS Prawn Bitsque (our annual Christmas special)! The result is this tom yum style bisque with scallop bits (hence bits-que) and red rice, a hearty comfort food as a natural remedy for the cold and flu bug! In turbulent, virulent times like this, a bowl or two would be so, so good.
