Prep:

1. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Prepare the shallots, garlic, chilies, mushrooms, baby corn, cherry tomatoes, makrut lime leaves as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.
2. Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and set aside.

Creamy Tom Yum Udon:

1. Cook the shrimp: Heat ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large deep edged skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and spread the pieces out in the pan. Season with half of the salt and pepper. Allow to sear for 1 minute, then flip and season the other side with the remaining salt and pepper. Sear for another 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for a minute until starting to soften. Then add the garlic and red chilies and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Sauté veggies: Add the baby corn, mushrooms and a small splash of water. Sauté for 30 seconds until the mushrooms start to soften.
4. Pour in cream and coconut milk: Lower the heat and slowly pour in the cooking cream and coconut milk while stirring.
5. Add the tom yum paste and seasonings: Stir in the tom yum paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, Thai chili powder and minced makrut lime leaves. Mix until the sauce starts to thicken a little. Then switch off the heat.
6. Cook the udon noodles: On another burner, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once rapidly boiling, lower the heat and add the udon noodle cakes. Use tongs to gently shake the noodle cakes until the strands loosen and soften – about 1 minute. (If using fresh udon, vacuum sealed packs or dried udon noodles, cook according to package instructions.)
7. Add cooked udon and shrimp: Turn the heat back on under the pan with the creamy tom yum sauce. Once the noodles are cooked, use tongs to directly transfer them to the pan with the creamy tom yum sauce. (Don’t drain the noodle cooking water as you may need some to thin the sauce later.) Add the cooked shrimp to the pan and mix to combine until everything is evenly coated in the sauce and it further thickens. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of noodle cooking water and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
8. Add the cherry tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes, lime juice and most of the fresh cilantro. Give everything a good mix to combine, then switch off the heat.
9. To Serve: Divide evenly on plates or in bowls and garnish with the reserved chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.