Ottolenghi pork meatballs

Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

For the meatballs
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped (50g)
30g coriander, leaves picked and stems finely chopped
10g mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few extra leaves to serve
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
Salt and ground white pepper
100g leftover cooked rice
500g pork mince
75ml vegetable oil, for frying

For the nuoc cham
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red bird's eye chilli, roughly sliced
1 large mild red chilli, roughly sliced
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
2 tbsp roughly chopped palm sugar, or caster sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
60ml fish sauce
60ml rice wine vinegar

To serve
1 small iceberg lettuce, leaves separated
½ cucumber, thinly sliced (150g)

Put the first six ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl, add a quarter-teaspoon of salt and three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground white pepper, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rice and mince, mix well, then form into about 24 roughly 30g balls. Flatten each ball slightly, then place on a baking tray and put in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Meanwhile, make the nuoc cham. Put the garlic, chillies and flaky salt in a mortar and pound to a wet paste: the chillies won't break down completely. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, then transfer to a screw-top jar. Seal, shake vigorously, then put in the fridge until ready to serve. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, put everything in a food processor and pulse until the chillies and garlic are broken up.

When ready to serve, prepare the salad platter by stacking the lettuce cups on the side and strewing the cucumber and reserved herb leaves around and about. Pour the nuoc cham into small serving bowls, so each person has their own little dipping sauce.

Put half the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, then fry half the patties for four to five minutes, turning them halfway, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, add the rest of the oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Transfer to the salad platter and serve warm or at room temperature.