Title: Tom Yam Pla Krop (Crispy Fish Soup)
Categories: Thai Fish Soup
Yield: 1 Servings

1		Catfish -- about 1/2 lb
		Pieces
6		Thin slices
6		Thin slices
4		Hom daeng (shallots - purple
		Onions)
8		Prik chi fa haeng (dried red
		Thai jalapeno
4		Kratiem (cloves of garlic -
		With skins)
3		Stalks takrai (lemon grass
		Or citronella) -- cut in 2"
		Pieces
1/2	c	Nam pla (fish sauce)
1/2	c	Nam som makham (tamarind
		Juice)
		Kha (galangal)
		Khing (ginger)

This isn't a crispy soup, it's a soup made with crispy fish.

Specifically pla krop (pronounced 'plah grob' with the 'o' in krop being something between a short o sound an a 'au' sound (a bit like saying 'crab' when you have a very nasal cold)) is deep fried catfish.

The catfish is fried whole in very hot oil (smoking peanut oil), so the usual cautions and caveats apply. Also for the proper flavor it should be fried with the head on - in Thailand it is fried before it is cleaned and trimmed for the second stage of cooking. You may of course clean and fillet the fish first.

The very hot oil ensures that only the outside of the fish is crunchy-crisp, and the inside is not reduced to concrete hardness!

If you prefer this dish can be made with salmon, trout, or sea bass.

Deep fry the catfish whole in very hot oil until the skin is very crisp.

Remove and drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the head and the tail (don't waste it ~ it can be added to your fish stock pot, or fed to the cat), then break the rest into large bite sized pieces, discarding the major bones.

On a grill or barbeque, grill the galangal, ginger, shallots, jalapenas, garlic and lemon grass until slightly charred.

Discard the skins, and chop, then pound to a paste in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.

Bring about 3 cups of water to a rolling boil, and add the ingredients, after one minute lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

~- Regards

Colonel Ian F. Khuntilanont-Philpott

Systems Engineering, Vongchavalitkul University, Korat 30000, Thailand

Chile-Heads List

Recipe By : Colonel I. F. K. Philpott

Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 12:16:48 -0700

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