“The warming broth with ginger pork balls is soothing, while the watercress gives it crunch and invigorating flavour. In place of watercress, you could use spinach, Chinese mustard leaves or pak choi. ”
Ingredients
- GINGER PORK BALLS
- 100 g higher-welfare pork mince
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon organic vegetable stock powder
- olive oil
- 1 Asian shallot , or small round shallot
- 1 spring onion
- SOUP
- 15 cm piece of ginger
- 1 organic vegetable stock cube
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- olive oil
- 300 g watercress
- 2 packets of instant ramen , or 1 sheet of egg noodles (60g)
- 1 spring onion
- 6 sprigs of fresh coriander
- 1 fresh red chilli
Method
- First, make your pork balls. Peel and finely chop the shallot, then trim and thinly slice the spring onion. Place both the shallot and spring onion in a mixing bowl with the mince, white pepper, sugar, stock powder, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Beat well with a fork for 5 minutes to soften and bring air into the meat.
- Oil your hands, then pinch off a small amount of pork, roll it into a ball and pop it on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture, and set aside.
- Fill a large saucepan with 1 litre of water and set over a medium-high heat. Peel and finely chop the ginger, then add to the pan along with the stock cube, fish sauce, ½ a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. When it comes to the boil, add the pork balls and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Trim and finely slice the remaining spring onion, chop the coriander into 1cm lengths and finely chop the chilli. Set aside for later.
- Chop the watercress into 10cm lengths, then add to the broth and cook for 1 minute, or until just wilted. Drop in the noodles and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to break up.
- Divide the soup between bowls, scatter over the sliced spring onion, coriander and chilli, then serve immediately.
Source: Jamie Oliver
