Soups

Soup in Thailand is not a starter. It sits in the middle of the table with everything else and is spooned over rice through the meal, so it is seasoned boldly: sour with lime or tamarind, salty with fish sauce, and fragrant with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves.

This collection runs from the famous to the everyday. Tom yum goong is hot and sour with prawns and roasted chilli paste; tom kha gai is its gentler, coconut-rich cousin built around galangal; and tom saep from Isaan is a clear, fiercely sour pork rib broth finished with toasted rice and fresh herbs.

The recipes explain which aromatics are there only for flavour and should be left in the bowl, why lime juice always goes in off the heat, and how to taste and correct a soup at the end so every flavour comes through.

A Thai meal for four usually has one soup alongside a curry, a stir-fry or salad, and rice, so make the soup a little sharper and saltier than you would if it were served alone. Tom kha gai is the gentlest place to start; tom saep is for those who like real heat and sourness.