Ingredients

Method

• 1 kg chicken bones or wings
• 2 onions, sliced
• 100 g ginger, finely sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bashed
• 3 T canola oil
• Fish sauce to taste
• Sugar to taste
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 500 g rice noodles, soaked in cold water
• 100 g spring onion
• 50 g coriander
• 50 g mint leaves
• 200 g iceberg lettuce
• 200 g bean sprouts
• 200 g baby spinach leaves
For the fish balls:
• 450 g white fish fillets, skinned and cut into chunks
• 1 T fish sauce
• 1 T red curry paste
• 8 Thai lime leaves
• 20 g fresh coriander (leaves and stalks) chopped
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 t palm or muscovado sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 40 g French beans, thinly sliced

Method

Ingredients

Wash the chicken bones or wings and place in a large pot. Just cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 11/2 hours. Strain through fine muslin and set aside.

Fry the onion, ginger and lemongrass in the oil and add to the strained broth. Season to taste with sugar, fish sauce and pepper.

Bring the broth to the boil.

Add the fish balls, blanch for a few minutes, remove and set aside. Add the soaked noodles and poach for 3 to 4 minutes, or until al dente. Check the seasoning of the broth and add salt if necessary.

Divide the blanched noodles between individual bowls and add the spring onion, coriander, mint, lettuce, bean sprouts and baby spinach. Top with the fish balls, pour the broth over the noodles and serve piping hot.

To make the fish balls, place the fish in a food processor with the fish sauce, curry paste, Thai lime leaves, coriander, egg, sugar and salt. Process until smooth, then stir in the sliced beans.

Divide the mixture into 16 pieces. Roll each one into a ball approximately 1.5 cm in diameter.