← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 250 g Minced pork
• 2 cloves Garlic, pounded or grated
• 2 coriander roots (or a few stems), finely chopped
• ¼ tsp White pepper
• 2 tsp Fish sauce
• 1.5 l chicken or pork stock
• 450 g cooked jasmine rice (from about 200 g raw)
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 4 Eggs (optional)
• 6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 cm piece Ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• 2 Spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Make the crispy garlic: put the garlic and oil in a small cold pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, for 4–5 min until pale golden. Pour straight into a heatproof bowl; it keeps darkening off the heat.
2. Mix the pork, garlic, coriander roots, pepper and fish sauce, and beat with a spoon for 1 minute until sticky.
3. Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pot. Drop in small teaspoonfuls of the pork mix and simmer for 4–5 min, until the balls float and are cooked through with no pink inside.
4. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, and simmer for 5 min, until the grains swell and soften but the soup is still brothy. Season with fish sauce and white pepper.
5. If using eggs, crack them gently into the simmering soup and poach for 3–4 minutes, until the whites are set.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with ginger, spring onion, coriander and a spoonful of crispy garlic with its oil.

Tips

• It’s perfect for leftover rice: cool cooked rice quickly, refrigerate within an hour or two and use within a day.
• Check your stock is gluten-free if needed; for a Thai table, serve with fish sauce and sliced chillies on the side.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rachel Cooks Thai Marion's Kitchen