This is great way to start the day, Thai style. It's comforting and really flavorful. Have extra chilli powder, soy sauce and white pepper on hand so you can customise your own bowl

Thai Brunch: Rice soup with pork balls, ginger and poached egg

Thai Brunch: Rice soup with pork balls, ginger and poached egg

Serves 2 Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ready in: 15 minutes

Pork balls

200g of pork mince

2 garlic clove

Pinch white pepper

1 tsp chopped coriander root, or stalk

2 tsp light soy

1 tsp oyster sauce

Soup 2 cups cooked jasmine rice

500ml light chicken stock

3 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

Pinch ground white pepper

Pinch Maldon sea salt

Pinch caster sugar

5 cloves garlic (to make the deep-fried garlic oil (see method))

Small handful Chinese (or if you can't find Chinese you could use hispy cabbage), cut into bite sized chunks

2 free range eggs

Garnish

1 tbsp of deep-fried garlic oil

1 tbsp ginger cut en julienne (fine batons)

2 spring onions sliced finely

A few picked coriander leaves

A small pinch of roasted chili powder

Method

  1. First make the fried garlic in oil - pound 5 garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar until a fairly fine paste (or finely chop) then fry in 5 tablespoons of plain oil until golden, drain the garlic reserving the oil. When the oil has cooled, return the garlic. This will keep for two weeks in a sealed container.
  2. Now the pork balls - pound together the garlic, coriander roots and white pepper into fine paste. Mix this paste with the pork mince adding in the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Knead the pork for 1-2 minutes to encourage the springy texture. Roll into balls roughly one inch in diameter, and then poach in simmering water for 5 minutes or until cooked (take one out and cut in half to check). Set aside.
  3. Bring a pan of the chicken stock to a simmer and add the cooked rice and cabbage and continue to slowly simmer - the soup will start to thicken as the starch comes out of the rice.
  4. Add the white pepper, light soy, oyster sauce, sugar and salt. Now add the pork balls and gently crack in the two eggs, allowing them to poach in the soup. When the eggs are cooked but still soft you are ready to serve.
  5. Serve the soup by gently ladling a portion of soup into each bowl, getting one egg and half the pork balls. Garnish with the ginger, spring onions, chilli powder, coriander and a teaspoon of the garlic oil.

Recipe courtesy of Singha beer

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