Tom yum soup with lime and white fish

Ingredients:

• 1 litre/1½pints water or light chicken stock
• 6 small sticks of lemongrass
• 12 lime leaves, torn in half (optional)
• 1 long red chilli, sliced
• 20g/1oz fresh root ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 20g/1oz palm sugar or light demerara
• 200g/7oz white fish, such as cod, skin and bone removed
• 50mls/1¾fl oz vegetable oil
• handful of picked coriander leaves handful of basil leaves
• 2 limes, halved

Method:

1. Pour the water or stock into a pan and add the lemon grass, torn lime leaves, chilli, ginger, fish sauce and sugar.

2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

3. Cut the white fish into 1cm square cubes and drop into the broth.

4. Quickly heat a griddle or frying pan and rub the scallops with a little oil.

5. Carefully place scallops in the pan, and don't touch for three minutes, until you can see the scallops colouring around the edges.

6. Turn them over and cook for a further three minutes.

7. Distribute the coriander and basil among six little bowls. Squeeze a little lime juice over the top and pour in the soup.

8. Place a scallop in each bowl and garnish with a stick of lemongrass.

source: BBC.co.uk