Pork, Sesame & Lemongrass Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Cut the broccoli florets and the stem[s] into bite-size pieces

Add them to a baking tray, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper, then put them in the oven for 10 min or until starting to brown

Meanwhile, boil a kettle 

Bash the lemongrass with a rolling pin, cut it [them] down the middle lengthways, remove the tough outer layers (keep them for later!) and chop the softer inner stem[s] finely

Peel and chop the garlic and the ginger coarsely

Add the rice, 350ml [700ml] water and the outer lemongrass layers to a pot (with a lid) and bring it to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Meanwhile, blitz the ginger, garlic, lemongrass stems and chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) in a blender to form a rough paste (alternatively, chop very finely)

Combine the paste, pork mince, breadcrumbs, 1 [2] sachet[s] soy sauce in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper

Shape 6 [12] meatballs from the mixture

Spread the sesame seeds out on a plate, roll the meatballs into the seeds to coat them evenly

Heat 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat

Once hot, add the meatballs and cook for 3-4 min or until the meatballs have browned on all sides

Transfer the browned meatballs to the broccoli tray (keep the pan for later!)

Return the tray to the oven for a further 8-10 min or until the meatballs have cooked through

Check the rice is cooked, and once done, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving 

Meanwhile, return the pan to a medium heat, add the honey, 150ml [220ml] water and the remaining soy sauce

Bring to the boil, whisk to combine and boil until reduced to a runny glaze

Tip: remove the pan from the heat occasionally to prevent it from over-reducing

Once done, remove from the heat