Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup

This recipe was a part of our Curried Winter Night menu. Please check out the entire menu and the story behind its creation – it includes a handy shopping list!SERVES 8We used 20-25 wild shrimp in the shell. We removed the shells and reserved the shells the day before serving and made a shrimp broth with onions, mushroom stems, lemongrass stalks and fennel fronds. Finding a good fish sauce is key. We used Bliss.1 tablespoon coconut oil2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger1 stalk lemongrass, minced1 tablespoon red curry paste4 cups chicken or shrimp broth3 tablespoons fish sauce1 tablespoon light brown sugar2 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut cream – you can use coconut milk1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined2 tablespoons fresh lime juicesalt to taste1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantroHeat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly pour the broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with cilantro