Fuzhou fish ball soup

Step 1: Mix 7 oz minced pork, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 tbsp cold water and 1 spring onion, stirring in one direction until sticky. Shape into 20 small balls the size of a marble, put them on a plate and freeze for 15 minutes so they firm up. Keep raw pork and fish boards separate from everything else.

Step 2: Cut 1 ⅛ lb skinless white fish fillet into chunks and blitz in a food processor with 1 tsp salt until it forms a smooth, sticky paste, about 1 minute.

Step 3: With the motor running, trickle in ½ cup ice-cold water a little at a time, then add 2 ⅞ oz sweet potato starch or tapioca starch and blend for 1–2 minutes more until the paste is glossy and pulls away from the sides in one mass. If the machine warms the paste, chill it for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Scrape the paste into a bowl and slap it against the bowl with your hand for 3–4 minutes; it should turn elastic and spring back when pressed. A common mistake is skipping this: the balls come out soft and crumbly.

Step 5: Bring a large pan of water to a bare simmer (small bubbles at the edges only) and keep a bowl of cold water nearby for your hands.

Step 6: Take a walnut-sized piece of paste in a wet palm, flatten it, put a pork ball in the middle and wrap the paste around it. Squeeze it up between thumb and forefinger into a smooth ball, scoop it off with a wet spoon and drop it into the water.

Step 7: Cook the balls in two batches over a low heat for 6–8 minutes, until they float, look white and glossy, and the pork inside is cooked through (160°F / 160 °F; cut one to check). Don't let the water boil, or the balls puff up and turn rough.

Step 8: Meanwhile, bring 5 cups chicken stock to the boil and season with ½ tsp ground white pepper and salt to taste.

Step 9: Lift the fish balls into the broth with a slotted spoon and simmer for 1 minute. Ladle into bowls, scatter with celery and add a few drops of vinegar and more pepper to taste.