Pork Ball Soup With Noodles

Vietnamese recipe taken from The Essential Asian Cookbook

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  pork bones
• 1  piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 4  cups water
• 6  spring onions, chopped
• 9 2⁄3 ounces  shanghai noodles
• 8  ounces  pork mince
• 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 3⁄4 ounces pineapple, chunks
• 3 1⁄3 ounces bean sprouts
• 2  tablespoons mint, fresh shredded

Directions

1. Place the pork bones, ginger, salt, pepper and water in a pan, and bring it to a boil. Skim off any scum, add the spring onions and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bones and set the stock aside.
2. Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
3. Chop the mince very finely with a large knife for 3 minutes or until the meat feels very soft and spongy. Wet your hands and roll 2 teaspoons of mince at a time into small balls.
4. Return the stock to the heat and bring it to the boil. Add the pork balls and cook for 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce and pineapple.
5. Place the noodles in individual soup bowls and ladle the hot stock over them, making sure each bowl has pork balls and pineapple. Scatter the bean sprouts and mint over the soup, and serve immediately.