Hot and Sour Soup II

Ingredients

 * 1 pound of medium-size shrimps
 * A dozen mushrooms
 * 1 stalk of lemon grass
 * 4 cups water
 * 2 cups chicken stock
 * 3 lime leaves
 * 6 green peppercorns
 * 3 slices fresh ginger
 * 1 teaspoon of salt
 * 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (or 4 tablespoons of soy sauce)
 * 3 tablespoons of lime juice
 * 6 hot peppers, pounded lightly (less, depending on taste)
 * 1/2 cup of roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

Directions

 * 1) Remove the shrimp shell but leave the tails (for appearance).
 * 2) Then cut open the back of each shrimp to remove the veins.
 * 3) Clean the mushrooms with water and dry them well before cutting each into quarters.
 * 4) Trim root and tough layers from lemon grass.
 * 5) Thinly slice first six inches.
 * 6) Bring 2 cups of stock to boil.
 * 7) Bring 4 cups of water to boil, then add the stock, lemon grass, lime leaves, and shrimps.
 * 8) When the shrimps turn pink, add mushrooms, ginger, peppercorns and salt.
 * 9) Remove the pot from heat after boiling.
 * 10) Add fish sauce, lime juice, and hot peppers to taste.
 * 11) Serve the soup while still hot in individual soup cups and top each cup with a sprinkle of coriander.

Contributed by:
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