Thai fish ball noodle soup

Cover the pork neck bones with water and bring to a simmer; after 15 to 30 minutes, skim off the foam and scum.

Add the daikon, onion, smashed garlic, cilantro stems and cracked white pepper; simmer at least another 1 hour 15 minutes, keeping the bones submerged.

Remove the bones to cool, fish out and discard the vegetables; pick the meat off the bones and season it with a little soy sauce.

Soak the rice vermicelli in room-temperature water for 10 minutes, until completely limp; do not over-soak.

Fry garlic (here in rendered pork fat) to make fried garlic and garlic oil.

Bring a portion of the pork stock to a boil and season with soy sauce, fish sauce, a little sugar and, if wanted, white pepper.

Add the fish cakes and heat them through, from frozen if need be.

Taste and adjust after the fish balls go in; season the broth strongly, a little too much, since noodles and vegetables will dilute it.

In boiling water, cook one portion of noodles at a time in a noodle strainer with bean sprouts for three seconds; shake off the water.

Pour the soup over the noodles and add the fish balls.

Garnish with fried garlic and its pork fat, chopped green onions and cilantro, and tang chai if on hand.

Serve with table condiments to adjust: fish sauce for salty, chili vinegar (chilies and white vinegar) for sour, chili flakes for spicy, sugar for sweet.

Variation: Tom Yum style -- add a lot of chili flakes and a good squeeze of lime, about a tablespoon, to make it spicy and sour.