Tom Yam

This is a fairly simple Thai soup.  You could get fancier with it and add in mushrooms, tofu, pork, or chicken, but I honestly prefer it just as a clear flavorful broth.

Ingredients:
4 ham hocks (I like two smoked, two plain), you could also use stock cuts of other animals like soup bones or chicken necks
12 C water
fish sauce
5-6 slices galangal, lightly crushed
Piece of lemon grass, halved lengthwise and bruised
5-6 kaffir lime leaves
3 T nam prik pao (Thai chile jam)
Thai chiles to taste, minced very finely
large handful of cilantro leaves
lime juice to taste

Place the ham hocks in the water with 8 T fish sauce and simmer for at least a couple of hours.  Remove the ham hocks and add the galangal, lemon grass, lime leaves, and chiles, and simmer for another 30 minutes.  Remove the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves.  Add the nam prik pao and cilantro, wait a minute, taste, and add fish sauce if necessary.  After taking the soup off the heat and right before serving add lime juice to taste.