SERVES FOUR

Ingredients:
75g/30z/scant 1/2 cup long grain rice, well rinsed
250m l/Sf l ozll cup coconut milk
30m 1/2 tbsp tuk prahDc
2 lemon grass stalks , trimmed and crushed
25glloz ga langal, thinly sliced
2-3 Thai chillies
4 garli c cloves, crushed
15ml/ l tb sp pa lm sugar
1 fre sh bam boo shoot , pee led,
boi led in water for 10 minutes, and sliced
450glli b fres hwater fish fillets,
such as carp or catfi sh, skinned
an d cut into bi tes iz e pieces
1 small bunch f resh basi l leaves
1 small bu nch fresh coriander
(cilantro), chopped , and 1 chilli,
finely sliced, to garn ish
rice or nood le s, to se rve

For the stock:
675g/11/2 1b pork ri bs
1 oni on, quartered
225g/Soz carrots , cut into chunks
25glloz dri ed squid or dried shrimp,
soaked in water for 30 minut es,
rinsed and drai ned
15ml/1 tbsp nUDe mam
15ml/1 tbsp soy sau ce
6 black peppercorns
salt

Method:
1 To prepare the stock, put the ri bs in a large pan and cover with 2.5 litres/ 4% pints/lO cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off any fat, and add the remaining stock ingredients. Cover the pan and simmer for 1 hour, then skim off any foam or fat.

2 Simmer the stock, uncovered, for a further 1-l lh hours, until it has red uced . Check the seasoni ng and strain the stock into another pan. There should be approximately 2 litres/3 1f2 pints/73/4 cups of stock .

3 Bring the pan of stock to the boil. Stir in the rice and reduce the heat. Add the coconut milk, tuk prahoc, lemon grass, galangal, chil lies, ga rlic and sugar.
Simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavours mingle. The rice should be just cooked , with bite to it.

4 Add the sliced bamboo shoot and the pieces of fish. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Check the season ing and stir in the basil leaves. Ladle the soup into bowls, ga rni sh with the chopped coriander and chilli, and serve with the rice or noodles.

Cambodian Bamboo Fish and Rice Soup