PORK LARB

1 First toast the rice. Tip the rice onto a heavy-based frying pan and toast over a medium heat, moving all the time, for about five minutes. The rice will become light brown and smell toasty. Leave to cool, then grind it in a coffee or spice grinder till it becomes quite a fine powder, like sand. Some texture is okay. Set this aside.

2 Make the dressing. Mix the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a jar. Shake well to combine. Set aside. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large plate, try to keep each one as a cup or little bowl.

3 Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic for a minute, ensuring it doesn't colour. Then add the sugar and fry for another 30 seconds before removing it from the pan. Next increase the heat and fry the pork for five minutes, keep it moving around the pan. Once there are no signs of any pink in the pork, return the garlic to the pan. Lower the heat a little and ensure it is combined well.

4 Once the pork begins to colour, add one tablespoon of fish sauce and cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Add the dressing and fold the red onion, spring onion and freshly chopped mint, basil and coriander through the pork.

5 Spoon the meat mixture into the lettuce cups and sprinkle the top with some of the toasted rice. Serve right away with extra lime wedges.