Name: Sticky Vietnamese pork meatballs with rice noodles and pickled vegetables
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, crushed; Large thumb-size piece fresh ginger, grated; 2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped; Zest 1 lime; 500g British free-range pork mince; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander; ½-1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; 2 tsp fish sauce; Vegetable oil for frying; 70ml fish sauce; 100ml rice wine vinegar; 2 tbsp caster sugar; Juice 2 limes; 3 tbsp warm water; 2 tsp sea salt flakes; 400g carrots, julienned; 1 daikon or 300g radishes, julienned or finely sliced; 25g clear honey; 20ml soy sauce (we like Kikkoman); 2 tsp fish sauce; Zest 1 lime; Cooked vermicelli noodles, little gem lettuce leaves, mixed fresh herbs, chopped peanuts, sliced red chillies and lime wedges

Ingredients

For the meatballs

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Large thumb-size piece fresh ginger, grated

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped

Zest 1 lime

500g British free-range pork mince

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

½-1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 tsp fish sauce

Vegetable oil for frying

For the quick-pickled vegetables

For the honey glaze

25g clear honey

20ml soy sauce (we like Kikkoman)

2 tsp fish sauce

Zest 1 lime

To serve (optional)

Cooked vermicelli noodles, little gem lettuce leaves, mixed fresh herbs, chopped peanuts, sliced red chillies and lime wedges

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Method

For the quick-pickled veg, put the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, water and sea salt in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Transfer half to a mixing bowl (reserve the rest), then add the veg. Toss to coat, then set aside (toss now and then).
For the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and mix well. Roll into 20-24 walnut- size meatballs, then set aside.
For the glaze, mix the honey, soy, fish sauce and lime zest in a bowl.
Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Heat a large frying pan with a glug of oil, then fry the meatballs over a medium heat, turning occasionally, for around 8 minutes until cooked. Put the meatballs in a small roasting tin, drizzle over the glaze, toss to coat, then put in the oven, covered loosely in foil, to keep warm.
Drain and squeeze dry the pickled veg, then put in a bowl. Divide the noodles among serving bowls, pour over the reserved pickling liquid, then spoon in the meatballs and a drizzle of glaze from the tin. Top with a tangle of pickled veg, then scatter over generous amounts of herbs, peanuts and chillies. Serve with lime wedges, if you like.