Tom Yum Talay (ต้มยำทะเล)

Tom yum talay is the seafood version of Thailand's most iconic soup — a turbocharged aromatic broth of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bird's eye chillies, brimming with prawns, squid, and mussels. Where tom yum goong uses a single protein, talay (meaning "sea") celebrates the ocean's abundance, making it a showstopper at any Thai dinner table.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Broth aromatics

• 1.2 litres (5 cups) light chicken or fish stock
• 3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed, bruised and cut into 5cm pieces
• 5cm (2 in) piece galangal, sliced into rounds
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 4–6 bird's eye chillies, bruised (adjust to heat preference)
• 3 garlic cloves, bruised

Seafood

• 200g (7 oz) large raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 150g (5 oz) squid tubes, cleaned and sliced into rings
• 200g (7 oz) live mussels or clams, scrubbed
• 100g (3½ oz) straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms

Seasoning

• 3 tbsp (45ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp (30ml) nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) — for the nam khon (creamy) version, add 60ml evaporated milk

To serve

• Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• Steamed jasmine rice

Instructions

1. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes to infuse the broth.
2. Increase heat to a vigorous simmer. Add mussels or clams and cook 2 minutes. Discard any that do not open.
3. Add squid rings and mushrooms; cook 1 minute. Add prawns and cook a further 2 minutes until just pink and curled.
4. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and nam prik pao. Taste and balance — the soup should be sharp, salty, spicy, and lightly sweet. Add evaporated milk now if making the creamy version.
5. Ladle into bowls, distributing the seafood evenly. Garnish with fresh coriander.
6. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Cook's Notes: Do not overcook the seafood — the entire process from adding seafood to serving should take no more than 5–6 minutes. The galangal and lemongrass are flavouring agents, not meant to be eaten. The creamy (nam khon) version is richer and more popular in central Thailand; the clear (nam sai) version, without evaporated milk, is more traditional in the south.