(Tom Yum Goong)

Pornpitlum Pattcha's version of this dish was made with large saltwater prawns known in Thai as goong yai. Check your local Asian market for hard-to-find ingredients. Bring 1 quart water to a boil in a large pot. Add 8 whole fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 1 trimmed stalk lemongrass halved lengthwise, and one 3" piece peeled fresh or frozen galangal cut crosswise into 1⁄4"-thick coins. Reduce heat to medium and cook until fragrant, 3–4 minutes. Add 5 head-on, shell-on jumbo prawns, halved lengthwise, and boil gently until just cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add 3⁄4 cup fresh lime juice, 1⁄4 cup fish sauce, 3–4 tbsp. semimoist thai palm sugar, 5 red or green thai chiles, stemmed and halved lengthwise, 2 cored and quartered plum tomatoes, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tomatoes are softened, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice. Serves 4.