Pork larb with green beans, cucumber and mint SERVES 4-6

We’ve spiked this larb with aniseed. It’s a natural partner to pork and adds an extra flavour dimension to this simple dish. 100 ml chicken stock

500 gm coarsely minced pork

100 gm green beans, cut into 2cm batons

½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced on a mandolin

2 Lebanese cucumbers, half-peeled and thickly sliced

1 cup (firmly packed) mixed coriander and mint

Iceberg lettuce leaves, thinly sliced red chilli, fried shallots and steamed rice, to serve TOASTED BROWN RICE DRESSING

1 tbsp brown rice

1½ tsp aniseed or fennel seeds 100 ml lime juice (about 3 limes)

15 gm (3cm piece) ginger, coarsely chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped

2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), finely chopped

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp crushed dark palm sugar

1 tsp roasted chilli powder

1 For toasted brown rice dressing, dry-roast rice in a frying pan over high heat, stirring constantly, until light golden (1 minute; see cook’s notes p182). Add aniseed and toast until fragrant (1 minute). Finely grind with a mortar and pestle, then blend in a blender with remaining ingredients until mixture is very finely chopped.

2 Bring stock to the boil in a frying pan, then add pork and simmer, stirring occasionally, until just cooked, adding beans in the last minute of cooking (4-5 minutes).

3 Transfer pork mixture to a bowl, add dressing, toss to combine and season to taste. Cool briefly, then add onion, cucumber and herbs, and serve warm with lettuce cups, chilli, fried shallots and steamed rice.