Singapore Shellfish Soup
Serves 6–8
Singapore sits at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, surrounded by the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the Java Sea. No wonder seafood is a Singaporean mainstay.
In a medium-sized saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and fry the shrimp shells until pink.
Add 3 cups of water to the pan and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the shells from the broth, then boil the broth until it is reduced to 2 cups.
In a large skillet, bring ½ cup of water to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and let steam until opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve. Shell all but about ⅓ of the mussels; set the mussels aside.
Place the lemongrass, chilies, garlic, ginger, shallots, anchovy paste, and 2 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Process to form a thick paste, adding more water if needed.
Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the lemongrass paste and fry, stirring continuously, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the shrimp broth and mussel cooking liquid to the pot, stirring to dissolve the paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and fish sauce; return to a boil. Add the noodles and lime zest; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes more. Add the scallop slices. After 30 seconds or so, add the shelled mussels and bean sprouts. Gently stir to combine.
To serve, ladle the soup into deep soup bowls. Garnish with the mussels in their shells, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and the juice from a lime wedge over the top of each bowl.
