Thai pork noodle broth

Serves 4

You will need:

● 100g medium or fine rice noodles

For the broth, you will need:

● 1L chicken stock

● 1 stalk of lemongrass, bashed (or

rolled with a rolling pin) and cut in

half

● 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

and cut into about 6 slices

● Juice of 1 lime

● 1 tablespoon fish sauce

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 2 teaspoons palm sugar or

brown sugar

● ½ to 1 red chilli, finely chopped

(de-seeded if you wish)

● 1 bunch of fresh coriander, about

20 stalks

● 400g minced pork (not too fatty)

● 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

● 1 clove of garlic, crushed or

finely grated

● Salt

● 2 tablespoons olive oil or

sunflower oil

To serve, you will need

● 1-2 red chillies, sliced

1

Place the medium or fine rice noodles, whichever you’re using, in a bowl, pour boiling water over to cover them and leave them to stand for five minutes until they are softened. Drain them — leaving about

50ml of the soaking liquid in with the noodles to stop them sticking together — and set them aside.

2

Put the chicken stock, the lemongrass and the sliced fresh ginger in a saucepan and put it on a high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for five minutes.

3

Add the lime juice, the fish sauce, the soy sauce, the palm sugar or the brown sugar, whichever you’re using, and the finely chopped chilli. Taste and add a splash more fish sauce or lime juice if necessary.

4

While the broth is simmering, cut off the thick stems from the base of the coriander stalks, just 2-3cm, and discard them. Pick the coriander leaves off the remaining stems and set them aside, then finely chop the remaining stems. In a bowl, mix together the minced pork, the finely grated ginger, the crushed or finely grated garlic, whichever you’re using, and the coriander stems and season with salt. To check the mixture for seasoning, cook a little piece in the frying pan on the heat, and alter if necessary.

5

Roll the mixture into 20 balls (see my Top Tip, left). Place a large frying pan on a high heat, allow it to get hot then add the olive oil or the sunflower oil, whichever you’re using. Tip in the pork balls (if the frying pan doesn’t fit them all comfortably in a single layer, then cook them in two batches). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until the pork balls are golden brown and cooked in the centre, then remove them to a piece of kitchen paper on a plate.

6

Divide the noodles between four warm deep bowls, then add the pork balls and pour over the broth, leaving the ginger slices and lemongrass behind in the saucepan. Garnish with the coriander leaves you set aside earlier and the chilli slices. ●