Yum nam khao thot, crispy rice ball and fermented sausage salad

Mix the red curry paste, two teaspoons of fish sauce, a teaspoon of sugar, the julienned kefir lime leaves, the shredded coconut and one egg together first.

Add four cups of warm cooked rice and mix. Mushing some of the rice helps the balls hold together.

Taste and adjust; microwave a little first if raw egg is a concern.

Form into balls about the size of a plum, pressing very hard so they hold. Rounder is more authentic and takes more oil; flatter pucks take less.

Make a thin batter of rice flour and slightly less water, thin enough to be almost invisible when fried.

Variation: skip the batter, but smooth the rice balls well first or any protruding grains fry hard.

Heat the oil to 350F. A bit of rice thrown in should bubble right away.

Fry the battered balls eight to ten minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Unbattered balls take about six minutes.

Crush a couple of the fried rice balls into a bowl.

Break up the nam and add it, then green onions, cilantro, ginger, shallots, sawtooth coriander, chili flakes and peanuts to taste.

Add a big squeeze of lime and a little extra fish sauce, mix well and taste. Adjust with more chillies, lime and peanuts.

Wrap in a piece of crisp lettuce to eat.

Variation: reheat the leftovers, fry an over easy egg, put it on top and mix the whole thing up.