Bakso (Indonesian Meatball Soup)

Ingredients

• Lean ground beef 500 g
• Tapioca starch 100 g
• Egg white 1 (30 g)
• Garlic 8 cloves (32 g)
• Shallots 4 (60 g)
• Ice water 100 ml
• Beef stock 2 liters
• Salt 2 tsp (12 g)
• Ground white pepper 2 tsp (4 g)
• Vegetable oil 2 tbsp (27 g)
• Rice vermicelli (bihun) 100 g
• Dried yellow egg noodles 100 g
• Bok choy 300 g
• Celery leaves and green onions, chopped 30 g

Instructions

1. 1

   Pulse the beef in a food processor with 4 cloves of garlic, half the salt, 1 tsp of the pepper, the egg white and the ice water until smooth, then work in the tapioca starch.

2. 2

   Bring the stock to a simmer; with wet hands squeeze the mixture through your fist into 3 cm balls and drop them into a pot of hot, not boiling, water.

3. 3

   Cook the meatballs until they float, about 10 minutes, then lift them into the stock.

4. 4

   Slice the shallots and remaining garlic and fry them in the oil for 4-5 minutes until golden; add half to the stock and keep the rest for garnish.

5. 5

   Season the stock with the remaining salt and pepper and simmer the meatballs in it for 15 minutes.

6. 6

   Soak the vermicelli in hot water for 5 minutes and boil the egg noodles for 4 minutes; drain both. Blanch the bok choy in the stock for 1 minute.

7. 7

   Divide the noodles and bok choy among bowls, add the meatballs and hot stock, and top with celery leaves, green onions and fried shallots.