← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 1 l pork or chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, for the stock, smashed
• 2 coriander roots (or stems), smashed
• 150 g Minced pork
• 100 g fish balls or sliced fish cake (optional)
• 150 g thin rice noodles (sen lek)
• 100 g Bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 limes, juiced (about 4 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 4 tsp Sugar
• 2 tsp roasted chilli flakes (to taste)
• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
• 2 Spring onion, sliced
• 1 handful coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Simmer the stock with the smashed garlic and coriander roots for 10 min to flavour it, then fish them out.
2. Meanwhile, fry the chopped garlic in the oil over low heat for 2–3 minutes until pale gold. Tip into a small bowl, oil and all.
3. Drop small pinches of the pork mince into the simmering stock, add the fish balls and cook for 3–4 minutes until the pork is cooked through.
4. Cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for 1–2 minutes (or as the packet says), adding the bean sprouts for the last 30 seconds. Drain and divide between bowls.
5. Season each bowl with lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chilli and peanuts, then ladle over the hot broth, pork and fish balls. Top with garlic oil, spring onions and coriander and stir well.

Tips

• Taste and adjust each bowl: the aim is equal hits of sour, sweet, salty and hot.
• Contains peanuts and fish; check that your fish balls and stock are gluten-free.

Sources

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

Hungry in Thailand Marion's Kitchen