Nam Khao

Ingredients

• 700g cooked jasmine rice, cooled and dried out overnight if possible
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 60g desiccated coconut
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 800ml vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 200g som moo or Vietnamese nem chua fermented pork, diced
• 60g roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large handful mint leaves
• 1 large handful coriander leaves
• 3 limes, juiced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, for dressing
• 1 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
• 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 handful pork crackling, optional

Before you cook

• Break up the cold cooked rice with your fingers so there are no clumps.
• Mix the red curry paste, desiccated coconut, salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce through the rice until it is evenly orange.
• Work the beaten eggs into the rice with your hands until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
• Separate the lettuce leaves, wash them and pat them dry.
• Pick the mint and coriander leaves and slice the onions.

Steps

1. Squeeze the rice mixture into tight balls about the size of a tangerine, pressing hard so they do not fall apart.
2. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170C, testing it by dropping in a pinch of rice, which should sizzle immediately.
3. Lower three or four balls into the oil at a time so the temperature does not crash.
4. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the outside is dark golden and hard to the touch.
5. Lift the balls onto kitchen paper and fry the rest in the same way.
6. Leave the balls to cool for 10 minutes, because they crisp up properly as the steam escapes.
7. Break the balls into rough shards with your hands into a large mixing bowl.
8. Add the diced fermented pork, peanuts, spring onion and red onion.
9. Pour over the lime juice, the 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and the chilli flakes.
10. Toss quickly and lightly with your hands, stopping before the rice goes soft.
11. Fold in the mint and coriander leaves.
12. Taste and adjust with more lime until it is bracingly sour.
13. Pile the salad onto a platter and surround it with the lettuce leaves for scooping.