Ingredients

• 6 large tiger prawns (head-on / shell-on / tail intact)
• 1-2 tablespoons chilli relish or to taste 
• 2 + 1 stalks lemon grass 
• 1 + 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 
• 4cm long (1.5") galangal root, Crushed and sliced to thin slices. 
• 400ml coconut cream 
• 600ml water
• 6 large straw mushrooms cut into quarters (or oyster mushroom) 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice 
• 3-5 kaffir lime leaves 
• 1-4 fresh bird's eye chilies (depends on how spicy you like it) 
• 2 long coriander leaves (saw coriander) or coriander 

Method

1. Prepare the prawns. Peel and devein.
2. Squeeze and collect the fatty brains from the heads set aside. Do not throw away the shells and heads.
3. In a pot, bring to boil water and coconut cream, chilli relish and one stalk of lemon grass.
4. Blanch the prawns for 10 seconds, remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Add the prawns heads and shells to the pot do not boil for more than 1-2 minutes or you risk in damaging the delicate sweet taste of the broth.
6. Strain using a sieve. Press well to squeeze out all the juices from the prawn shells. 
7. Add lemongrass, galangal, straw mushrooms and 1 tablespoon fish sauce and cook out until the mushrooms are tender.
8. Return the blanched prawns to the pot and season with remaining lemongrass, green Birdseye chilies, Coriander and Kaffir Lime leaves allow to stand for 5 minutes of direct heat.
9. Fry the prawns brain in oil until it turns a deep orange color. 
10. Finish the dish by adding the fried prawn brains to the soup.