Thai Hot and Sour Noodle Soup with Shrimp

Thai Hot and Sour Noodle Soup with Shrimp

Ingredients
- 2 ounced rice vermicelli
- 1 lemon grass stalks, trimmed to bottom, 6 inches
- 2 scallions, trimmed, white parts left whole, greed parts cut into 1 inch lengths
- 3 makrut lime leaves, torn if large (sometimes sold as kaffir lime leaves)
- 0.5 thai chiles, stemmed, left whole
- 0.5 thai chiles, stemmed, sliced thin
- 1.5 thai chiles, stemmed, sliced thin, for serving
- 1" fresh galangal, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 teaspoon sugar
- 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1 inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons fish sauce
- 0.5 pound extra large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/8 cup thai basil leaves (optional)
- 1 recipe thai chili jam (optional)

Instructions
1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil
2. Remove from heat, add vermicelli, and let sit, stirring occasionally until vermicelli are fully tender, 10 to 15 minutes
3. Drain, rinse with cold water
4. Drain again, distribute among soup bowls
5. Place lemon grass, scallion whites, lime leaves, .5 whole thai chile, and galangal on a cutting board, and lightly smash with a meat pounder or small skillet until mixture is moist and fragrent.
6. Transfer mixture to dutch oven.
7. Add broth and sugar to dutch oven.
8. Bring to a boil over high heat.
9. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
10. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard solids from pot
11. Add mushrooms, fish sauce, scallion greens, 0.5 sliced thai chiles and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
12. Add shrimp, cover and let sit off heat until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. 4 to 5 minutes.
13. Stir in tomatoes and lime juice.
14. Season with extra sugar, extra fish sauce, and extra lime juice to taste.
15. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro and thai basil. Drizzle with Thai chile jam.
16. Serve with lime wedges and extra sliced thai chiles.

Thai Chili Jam

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large shallot, sliced thin
- 2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 5 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeds reserved
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 5 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauc

Instructions
1. Set fine mest strainer over heatproof bowl.
2. Heat oil and shallots in medium saucepan over medium high heat, until shalltos are golden brown. 10 to 14 minutes
3. Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to second bowl.
4. Add garlic to hot oil, until golden brown. 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to bowl with shallots.
6. Add Arbols, and half of reserved seeds to hot oil. Until arbols turn deep red. 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Strain oil through preapred strainer into bowl.
8. Reserve oil, and transfer arbols to shallot/garlic mixture.
9. DO NOT WASH SAUCEPAN
10. Process shallot mixure, sugar, lime juice in food procesor until thick paste. 15 to 30 seconds.
11. Return shallot/garlic paste to now-empty saucepan.
12. Add fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of reserved oil.
13. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
14. Cook, stirring frequently until mixture is thickend, and has jam like consistency. 4 to 5 minutes.
15. Remove from heat.
16. Add lime juice, fish sauce and salt to taste.
17. Jam can be refridgerated for one month