Com hen (Hue baby clam rice)

Step 1: Rinse 2 ¼ lb small live clams (baby or Manila clams) and soak them in cold salted water for 20 minutes to purge sand. Tap any that are open; throw away any that do not close.

Step 2: Put 4 oz pork back fat or fatty pork belly in a cold frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are golden and crisp. Lift them out to drain and keep the fat. Skip this if using scratchings.

Step 3: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil in a wide pan over a high heat, add the drained clams, cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Discard any that stay shut.

Step 4: Strain the broth through a sieve lined with kitchen paper into a clean pan to catch any grit. Common mistake: skipping this step leaves sand in the broth that ruins the bowl.

Step 5: Pick the clam meat from the shells. With very small clams this takes a while, so put the radio on.

Step 6: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of the pork fat in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry 3 shallots and 1 stalk lemongrass for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the clam meat, 1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp fine shrimp paste (mắm ruốc) and toss for 1 minute only, or the clams turn rubbery.

Step 7: Bring the strained broth back to the boil and season with a little salt if needed. Add 2 spring onions just before serving.

Step 8: Divide 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice between four bowls. Top with the clams, 3 ½ oz bean sprouts, 3 ½ oz white cabbage or banana blossom, 1 oz mint, Vietnamese coriander and perilla, 1 starfruit or green mango, the crackling, 1 ¾ oz roasted peanuts, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and broken 2 toasted sesame rice crackers (bánh tráng mè).

Step 9: Add 1 tbsp chilli sauce or chopped bird's eye chilli to taste and pour a ladle of boiling broth over each bowl at the table, or serve the broth in a cup alongside. Mix everything and eat at once.