Tom Yum Gai Soup

2-4 Thai Chili Peppers
Black peppercorns
Thai Fish Sauce
Thai Chili paste
2-3 pounds of shrimp, preferably with the shells
12-15 stalks of medium size lemongrass
2 bunches of green onion
2 bunches of cilantro (Chinese parsley)
5 limes
10 kaffir lime leaves
1 large galangal root
1 large onion
1 head garlic
2-3 celery stalks
4 cans peeled straw mushrooms
2 packs of white mushrooms

Start boiling about 20 cups of water in a pot, with some salt, add a good amount of whole peppercorns, and the thai chilis, chopped. Also, add 2 tablespoons of chili paste to the soup. Add about 3/4 cup of fish sauce to the water too.

Meanwhile, rinse and peel the shrimp, put the shells in one bowl, keep the shrimp in another. Peel off a few outer layers of lemongrass, cut off ends and any damages parts, and then slice pretty thin, and throw it in the shell bowl. Wash the green onions, cut off the roots, and then cut off the top half (green parts), chop, and throw them in the shell bowl. Chop and keep the white parts for later in a third bowl. Wash the Cilantro, cut off the stems, chop the stems and throw the stems into the shell bowl. Keep the leaves for later, in the same bowl as the green onion. Wash and cut five limes in half, and with a fork squeeze the lime juice into the soup. Take two of the squeezed halves, and throw them whole into the shell bowl. Throw the rest of the rinds away. Rough chop the lime leaves and throw them in to the shell bowl. Wash the Galangal and remove any damaged parts, then slice thinly and throw it in the shell bowl. Crush and peel half a head of garlic and add it to the shell bowl. Rough chop the celery, and the onion and add it in, all to the same shell bowl. Your bowl of shells should have a bunch of stuff in it, which will flavor the broth and then be discarded.

Once the water is boiling, throw all the shells and stuff in that bowl ONLY into the soup. This should be all rinds, stems, lemongrass and stuff in the first bowl. Basically everything except the shrimp, cilantro leaves, green onion whites, and the other half of the garlic head.

Boil gently the soup for about 15 minutes. Try the broth. If it needs more tang, add more lime juice. If it needs more salt, add more fish sauce. If it needs more spice and hotness, add another tablespoon of chilipaste.

Once satisfied with the broth flavor, strain the liquid into another pot or some bowls. Throw out all the boiled shells, roots, everything. Just keep the liquid.

Put it back into the large pot and bring to a boil, mean while slice the white mushrooms and drain the canned mushrooms. Crush and peel the other garlic head half, add it in. Once boiling, add the mushrooms, boil for 5 minutes, then add the shrimp, chop the cilantro leaves and the green onion and throw it in. Depending on the size of the shrimp, bring to a boil and then 2-4 minutes later, the soup is done.