Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp and Lemongrass Chicken Skewer

For the soup, rinse 1 lemongrass, remove outer leaves and cut in half lengthwise. Rinse lime in hot water and cut into thin slices. Peel ginger and galangal and cut into thin slices. Rinse chile pepper, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds and ribs and cut into narrow strips.

Step 1:

Bring coconut milk and broth to a boil in a pot. Add half of garlic, 3 slices of lime, chile peppers, lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass and 3 tablespoons fish sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 2:

Cut mango fruit into small cubes and place in a mixing bowl. Pour 2 spoon ladles of soup through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl and puree with an immersion blender. Strain remaining soup, add strained soup and pureed mango back into the pan and keep warm.

Step 3:

For the vegetables, rinse peppers, remove seeds and ribs and cut into narrow strips. Rinse celery, trim and slice. Rinse scallions, trim and cut into narrow rings. Rinse snow peas, trim, cut in half diagonally, blanch in boiling salted water, drain, rinse in cold water and drain well.

In a frying pan or a wok heat 2 tablespoons oil and saute remaining garlic. Add vegetables except snow peas, sauté briefly and deglaze the pan with remaining fish sauce. Add snow peas and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Step 4:

For the skewers, rinse meat, pat dry and cut into bite-size cubes. Slice remaining lime slices in half and alternately skewer meat cubes to remaining lemongrass stalks. Rinse shrimp and pat dry.

In a frying pan, heat remaining oil and fry skewers until golden brown. Add shrimp, saute and season with salt and red pepper flakes.