Thai Soup with Pork Balls

A hearty Oriental noodle soup with spicy (or not, depending on how you like them) pork and coriander meatballs.

• For the meatballs
• 400g minced pork
• 2 squirts of puréed lemongrass
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
• handful fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 diced red chilli (optional)
• For the soup
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 2tbsp nam pla fish sauce
• handful of Thai basil (if available) or coriander leaves
• half inch of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• ground black pepper
• half a savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 or 3 'nests' of egg/rice noodles of your choice
• handful chopped spring onions to garnish

Place all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl, get your hands in there and mix well. Then pop in the fridge to chill. If you like them perky, use a finely chopped red chilli but wash your hands afterwards. Don't say you weren't warned.

Meanwhile, heat the stock and, when boiling, add the noodles. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove the noodles and set aside, retaining the stock in the pan (how you achieve this is left to your culinary imagination, just don't chuck it down the sink, OK? Good.)

Remove the meat from the fridge and form into meatballs (between 9-12, depending on size). Heat a very small amount of oil in a frying pan and add the meatballs. Allow to brown on all sides, turning as necessary.

Meanwhile, in a small dish mix the nam pla fish sauce together with the Thai basil/coriander and the ginger. Season with black pepper and then add to the stock. When this is simmering, add the sliced cabbage and leave bubbling away.

Check on your meatballs and when they look nicely browned, lob them (gently) into the soup along with the cooked noodles. Allow everything to warm through together, then serve in bowls, garnished with chopped spring onions (if you remembered to buy them, which I didn't...)