Bakso (Indonesian Beef Meatball Soup)

Method

1. Put the minced beef in the freezer for 15 minutes so it is very cold; cold meat keeps the fat from melting and makes bouncy meatballs. In a food processor, pulse the beef, meatball garlic, part of the salt, half the white pepper, the sugar and baking powder, then add the ice water a little at a time with the tapioca starch and process for 3 min, until smooth and sticky. If the machine gets warm, pause. Keep the paste in the fridge until needed.

   Add in this stepLean minced beef, very cold 200 gGarlic cloves for the meatballs, finely grated 2Salt ¼ tspGround white pepper ¼ tspSugar ½ tspBaking powder ¼ tspIce water 60 mlTapioca starch (or potato starch) 25 g

2. Heat the oil in a 20 cm pot, add the broth garlic and fry on medium-low heat for 1 min 30 sec, until pale gold. Add the stock, celery and the rest of the salt and white pepper, turn up to medium heat and heat for 7 min. You want small bubbles rising from the bottom, not a rolling boil.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 2 tspGarlic cloves for the broth, chopped 3Beef stock 750 mlCelery leaves and stalk, finely chopped (Chinese celery if possible) 15 gSalt ½ tspGround white pepper ¼ tsp

   medium-low heat→medium heat

3. Keep the heat at medium-low heat so the broth never boils. Wet or oil your hand, take a handful of paste and squeeze it up through the circle of your thumb and index finger into a ball about 3 cm across. Scoop it off with a spoon and drop it straight into the broth. If that feels tricky, shape them between two wet spoons.

   medium-low heat

4. Cook until all the meatballs float, about 8 min from the first one going in. Do not let the broth boil hard, or the meatballs turn rough and tough. Cut the largest one open: it is done when grey right through with no pink.

5. Meanwhile, bring a 18 cm pot of water to the boil on high heat and cook the vermicelli for 3 min, adding the halved bok choy for the last minute. Drain in a sieve.

   Add in this stepThin dried rice vermicelli 80 gBaby bok choy 2

   high heat

6. Put the noodles and bok choy in bowls and ladle over the meatballs and hot broth. Top generously with spring onion and fried shallots, and serve kecap manis, sambal and lime on the side so everyone can season their own bowl.

   Add in this stepSpring onion, sliced 1Crispy fried shallots (shop-bought) 2 tbspKecap manis (sweet soy sauce) 2 tspSambal oelek (chilli paste) 1 tspLime, cut into wedges ½