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Sweetcorn and Lemongrass soup
10 minutes prep. 
30 minutes cooking
Serves 4-6 |
Ingredients
- 4 sweetcorn, husks and silks removed
- 1.25 litres chicken stock (see page 222)
- 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 65 g butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 large potato, diced
- salt
- baby coriander sprigs or regular coriander, to garnish
- 1 × 3 cm piece galangal, chopped
- 1 × 3 cm piece ginger, chopped
- 1 golden shallot, sliced
- 6 coriander roots, chopped
- 1 bird’s eye chilli, seeded and chopped
- ½ stick lemongrass, white part only, sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 300 ml coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Place a corn cob upright on a chopping board and, with a sharp knife, carefully cut downwards along the cob to remove the kernels. Repeat with the remaining cobs, transfer the kernels to a bowl and set aside.
- Place the cobs and the chicken stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain the stock into a jug, discarding the cobs.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, potato and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened but not coloured. Add the corn kernels and the strained stock, bring to a simmer then cook over low–medium heat for 20–30 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.
- Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, then push the soup through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean saucepan to remove any small lumps. Season to taste, cover and place on the stove over low heat just to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, to make the coconut sauce, combine the galangal, ginger, shallot, coriander root, chilli, lemongrass and half the vegetable oil in a food processor or blender and process to a coarse paste.
- Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the coconut cream and bring to a simmer, then cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, stir through the lime juice and fish sauce, then season with pepper and a little more fish sauce to taste, if necessary.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve, discarding the solids (add a tablespoon or two of water if the sauce seems too thick).
- Ladle the soup into individual warmed bowls. Lightly whisk the coconut sauce then spoon some into each bowl.
- Scatter over a few sprigs of coriander before serving.
