SHORT of donning thermal underwear, a thick sweater and a woolly hat, little will warm you up in the depths of midwinter more than this Thai broth, whose title translates as hot and sour. Provided you've got the ingredients it's a doddle to make and versatile too – try adding leftover chicken or your favourite fish and shellfish.

Tom yum broth

Serves 4

50ml vegetable oil

50g shallots

50g root ginger

6 lemongrass sticks

50g tomato puree

1000ml chicken stock

6 kaffir lime leaves

50g sugar

50ml fish sauce

50ml soya sauce

6 plum tomatoes

2 red chillies

200g cod fillet, skinless

12 peeled tiger prawns

1 lime

20g fresh coriander

Add the vegetable oil to a large pot over a medium heat. Peel and slice the shallots and ginger finely and add them to the pot along with the lemongrass sticks, allowing the contents to cook gently without colour.

Add the tomato puree and cook for two minutes then add the chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves, sugar, fish sauce and soya sauce and bring to a simmer. Cut the tomatoes into 2cm chunks and add them to the broth then slice the chillies and add them to the pot before allowing the broth to simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the cod into four equal pieces and place them in the broth along with the prawns. Turn the heat off and allow the residual heat to cook the fish and prawns, which will take around eight to 10 minutes.

When the fish is cooked, squeeze the lime into the broth. Spoon the broth into four bowls, top with the coriander and serve.