Thai Red Curry Coconut Albóndigas

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the pork, panko, beaten egg (half an egg means beat 1 egg and use half), finely grated garlic, half the coriander, fish sauce and smoked paprika, and mix until slightly sticky. Roll 25 g balls with wet hands (≈12 × 25 g). Wash your hands straight after handling raw meat.

   Add in this stepMinced pork 250 gPanko breadcrumbs 20 gEgg ½Garlic cloves 1Chopped coriander (leaves and stems) 1½ tbspFish sauce for the meatballs 1 tspSmoked paprika ½ tsp

2. Heat the oil in a deep 24 cm pan over medium-high heat and fry the meatballs for 5 min, rolling them, until browned all over. They finish cooking in the sauce, so just colour the outside, then set them aside on a plate.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 2 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Turn the heat to medium heat, add some of the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk and the curry paste and fry for 2 min, until very fragrant and a little red oil separates. Keep stirring; burnt paste tastes bitter.

   Add in this stepThai red curry paste 1½ tbspCoconut milk 75 ml

   medium heat

4. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, palm sugar, the second measure of fish sauce, the torn lime leaves and thin strips of red pepper, then return the meatballs. Simmer over medium-low heat for 12 min, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked through (cut one: no pink inside, 71 °C). Keep it at a gentle bubble; hard boiling splits coconut milk.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 175 mlChicken stock 100 mlPalm sugar (or brown sugar) 1 tspFish sauce for the sauce 1 tspMakrut lime leaves 2Red pepper ½

   medium-low heat

5. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lime juice and stir in the Thai basil and remaining coriander. Taste: add more lime if it's too salty, more fish sauce if it's flat. Spoon generously over jasmine rice with plenty of sauce.

   Add in this stepLime ½Thai basil leaves 5 gChopped coriander (leaves and stems) 1½ tbspHot cooked jasmine rice 360 g