Seafood Laksa

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 3 cups fish stock or 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 -3 teaspoons asian fish sauce
• 10 ounces firm fish fillets, bones and skin removed
• 20 medium uncooked shrimp
• 2 small squid, hoods (optional)
• 6 ounces fresh crabmeat, cooked
• 12 ounces hokkien noodles or 12 ounces fresh rice noodles
• 1 -2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 bunch bok choy, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 20 mint leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro stem
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• fried shallot (available in packets from asian food stores)
• fresh red chile, sliced extra (optional)
• 2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste (belacan)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 3 -5 small fresh red chilies, coarsely chopped (and seeded, if desired, for less heat)
• 4 coriander roots, scraped and chopped
• 2 stalks lemongrass, part only,coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 4 macadamia nuts or 4 candlenuts
• 6 sprigs vietnamese mint or 6 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Recipe

• 1 for laksa paste: place dried shrimp paste on a foil-lined baking tray and roast at 350 deg f (180c) for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly roasted.
• 2 blend or process all the paste ingredients, including the roasted dried shrimp paste, until a smooth paste forms.
• 3 cut fish fillets into 1¼" pieces.
• 4 peel and de-vein shrimp, leaving tails intact cut cleaned squid down one side to open out flat, score inside surface in a criss-cross pattern and cut into strips.
• 5 heat peanut oil in a wok until almost smoking, add laksa paste and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the oil has been absorbed and the paste is fragrant.
• 6 add palm sugar, coconut milk and fish or chicken stock, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• 7 season to taste with fish sauce, and add a little more palm sugar, if necessary, to balance the flavors.
• 8 when ready to serve, add the fish, shrimp and squid (or chicken if you prefer), and simmer uncovered for a few minutes until the seafood (or chicken) is just cooked through.
• 9 meanwhile, heat the noodles according to packet instructions, drain, and keep warm.
• 10 lastly, add the crabmeat to the laksa and heat through gently.
• 11 remove laksa from heat and add the lime juice to taste.
• 12 divide the hot noodles, bok choy and mint leaves between serving bowls.
• 13 ladle hot soup over the top.
• 14 serve soup topped with cilantro sprigs, bean sprouts, fried shallots, and extra chili if desired.