Thai Curry Lemongrass Soup

[jeffg]

I'm not a huge fan of curry, lemongrass or even Thai food in particular, but this soup, served for many years by the original owners of the Kona Inn Restaurant in Hawaii, is absolutely wonderful if you like things spicy and sweet. Many years ago, in what was either a mistake or the greatest act of corporate generosity ever, they answered our request for the soup recipe with the prep manual for the restaurant's entire menu.

So here's the exact recipe which you will, at least at first , need to scale down for home use. It's billed as "mildly spicy" on the menu, but the recipe has an amazing affinity for added heat: the restaurant usually serves it with the heat turned WAY up (to the point of causing sweat) and it's even more fantastic. Anyway enjoy!

THAI CURRY LEMONGRASS SOUP
YIELD: 52 CUPS/35 BOWLS (315 OZ)

INGREDIENTS:

48 OZ WHITE WINE
6 OZ LEMONGRASS STALKS, FINELY CHOPPED
3 LIMES -- ZEST ONLY
3 TBS GINGER, FINELY CHOPPED
3 TBS GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
138 OZ CLAM JUICE (3 CANS)
84 OZ COCONUT MILK (6 CANS)
3 TBS CURRY POWDER
8 OZ HONEY
1 1/2 OZ SARACHI CHILI SAUCE
8 OZ SWEET CHILI SAUCE
8 TO 16 OZ CORNSTARCH

METHOD:

1. ADD ALL INGREDIENTS INTO STOCK POT EXCEPT CORNSTARCH
2. REDUCE BY 1/4
3. MIX CORNSTARCH WITH ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE SLURRY
4. ADD TO SOUP SLOWLY AND COOK UNTIL THICKENED

 

[revvinkevin]

Reduced by 2/3's for those who don't feed an army

 

Sounds really good, I'll have to try this one of these days.   Here is the recipe reduced to a more manageable quantity.

 

 

Kevin

 

 

<span style="color: #333399;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">THAI CURRY LEMONGRASS SOUP 
YIELD: 17 CUPS/11 BOWLS (105 OZ) 

INGREDIENTS: 

16 OZ WHITE WINE 
2 OZ LEMONGRASS STALKS, FINELY CHOPPED 
1 LIME -- ZEST ONLY 
1 TBS GINGER, FINELY CHOPPED 
1 TBS GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED 
46 OZ CLAM JUICE (1 CAN?) 
28 OZ COCONUT MILK (2 CANS) 
1 TBS CURRY POWDER 
2 OZ HONEY 
.5 OZ SARACHI CHILI SAUCE 
2.6 OZ SWEET CHILI SAUCE 
2.5 TO 5.5 OZ CORNSTARCH 

METHOD: 

1. ADD ALL INGREDIENTS INTO STOCK POT EXCEPT CORNSTARCH 
2. REDUCE BY 1/4 
3. MIX CORNSTARCH WITH ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE SLURRY 
4. ADD TO SOUP SLOWLY AND COOK UNTIL THICKENED </span></span>

 

[jeffg]

Thanks Kevin. Honey is 2.6oz (just over 1/3 cup) but otherwise perfect.

 

[58limited]

This looks really good! I have never seen a big can of clam juice locally, only 6oz. bottles.

 

[jeffg]

What's so weird is that I honestly don't care much for any of the individual ingredients in this recipe, but when combined it turns into something else entirely. Lemongrass can be very potent stuff and one tip is to make sure it and the ginger/garlic are chopped very finely. Otherwise the heat can be overwhelming. The restaurant basically minces the lemongrass down to the size of sand grains.

 

[revvinkevin]

..... but otherwise perfect.

 

 

Oops!  

 

 

My fingers must have gone all wonky on the calculator for that number.  

 

   Thanks Jeff!

 

~ "I have never seen a big can of clam juice locally..." 

I'm sure it's the industrial size can you'd normally find in a restaurant supply or Smart & Final type of store.... since the recipe IS from a restaurant.

 

Kevin

[this post was last edited: 10/9/2014-10:33]

 

[davey7]

In summer I grow my own lemon grass and usually discard it before eating unless I chop it very finely (or, yes, mince it). This looks like a tasty recipe.