Kaeng jeut are one of the three main types of soup commonly found in Thailand. The name means bland soup. These soups are not highly flavoured so you should use the best-quality stock possible.
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280 g) small squid
- 2 coriander (cilantro) roots, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 10 oz (280 g) minced (ground) pork or chicken
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 70 fl oz 8 cups (2 litres) vegetable stock
- 2.5 cm (1 in) piece of ginger, sliced
- 3 fl oz 1/3 cup (80 ml) light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon preserved radish, sliced
- 5 spring onions (scallions), slivered, for garnish
- a few coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnish
- ground white pepper, for sprinkling
How to Make It
- To clean each squid, grasp the body in one hand and pull away the head and tentacles from the body. Cut the head off the tentacles just above the eyes and discard the head. Clean out the body. Pull the skin off the squid and rinse well. Drain well.
- Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander roots and garlic into a paste. Combine the paste with the pork or chicken and the salt and pepper in a bowl. Spoon some mixture into a squid sac until two-thirds full, being careful not to overfill it as the filling will swell during cooking. Squeeze the squid tube closed at the end and seal with a sharp toothpick. Prick several holes in the body of the squid. Place on a plate and repeat with the rest of the squid. Use a spoon or your wet fingers to shape the remaining meat mixture into small balls about 1 cm (½ in) in diameter.
- Heat the stock to boiling point in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and add the ginger, light soy sauce and radish. Lower the meatballs into the stock, then gently drop in the stuffed squid and cook over low heat for 4–5 minutes, or until the meatballs and squid are cooked. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander leaves, and sprinkle with ground white pepper.
