Isaan Spicy Pork Soup (Tom Saap)

Ingredients

• 800g pork spare ribs, cut into 4cm pieces by your butcher
• 1.5 litres water
• 5cm fresh galangal, thinly sliced
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 5cm lengths
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 4 shallots, halved
• 150g oyster mushrooms, torn
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp raw sticky rice or jasmine rice
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• small handful fresh coriander leaves
• small handful fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Put the ribs in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs to remove scum.

2. Return the ribs to the clean pan with the 1.5 litres of water, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and shallots. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 45 minutes until the pork is very tender.

3. Meanwhile, toast the rice in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden. Grind to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. In the same pan, toast the chilli flakes for 30 seconds.

4. Add the mushrooms to the soup and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the fish sauce, toasted chilli flakes and ground rice. Take off the heat and add the lime juice.

6. Ladle into bowls and scatter with the spring onions, coriander and mint.