Khao kluk kapi

Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 shallot for 1 minute. Add 10 ½ oz pork shoulder or belly and stir for 3 minutes, until it is no longer pink. Wash the raw-pork board and knife before you cut anything else.

Step 2: Add 1 ¾ oz palm sugar, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and ½ cup water and simmer uncovered over a medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid reduces to a dark, sticky glaze and the pork is tender and cooked through (at least 145°F / 145 °F). Watch the last few minutes closely: the sugar goes from glaze to burnt very fast.

Step 3: Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat, pour in half of 2 eggs and swirl into a thin sheet. Cook for about 1 minute until set, slide out, and repeat with the rest. Roll the sheets up and slice into thin ribbons.

Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry 3 tbsp dried shrimp for 2 minutes, until crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil.

Step 5: Fry 4 cloves garlic in the same oil for 30 seconds until pale gold, then add 1 ½ tbsp Thai shrimp paste (kapi) and mash it into the oil for about 1 minute, until it smells toasty (open a window). Make sure it fully dissolves; lumps left behind become salty pockets in the rice.

Step 6: Add 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice, break up the clumps and toss over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, until every grain is evenly tinted and piping hot.

Step 7: Mound the rice on plates and arrange the sweet pork, egg ribbons and crisp shrimp around it with 1 green (unripe) mango, 3 shallots, 4 bird's eye chillies, 4 long beans, 1 lime, 1 cucumber and 1 handful coriander leaves. Squeeze the lime over and mix as you eat.