A fast and furiously spicy Malaysian soup with coconut milk, noodles and king prawns - something to wake us up from our winter hibernation!

Ingredients:

• 5 long fresh red chillies
• 5 shallots
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 20gr coriander stalks
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp curry powder

For the laksa:

• 500ml coconut cream
• 700ml chicken stock
• 250ml sunflower oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 lime halved
• 100gr of bean sprouts
• 4 tbsp of coriander
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 500gr king prawns, shelled
• 1-2 tbsp Thai fish sauce to taste
• 500gr egg noodle, soaked as per instructions
• 4 garlic cloves finely sliced
• 4 Thai red shallots finely sliced
• 4 long dried red chillies
• Fennel bulb, finely sliced
• Cucumber, cut into batons
• Endive, into leaves

Method:

• Blitz the curry paste ingredients in a food processor to a coarse paste. Heat the coconut cream over a medium heat in a large sauce pan until it separates.

• Add the curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the soy sauce and prawns and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with the fish sauce.

• For the garnish, heat the sunflower oil in a fry pan and separately fry the sliced garlic, onion and chillies until golden and crisp. Strain and cool. Pound together in a mortar and pestle with the salt and sugar to a rough crumb consistency.

• Divide the soaked noodles between four serving bowls. Top with the prawns and the laksa liquid. Place the endive, fennel and cucumber around the plate to serve.

• Serve garnished with wedges of lime, a sprinkling of the salt and sugar seasoning, bean sprouts and coriander.

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