Thai Fish Balls

Method

1. In a granite mortar, pound 1 clove garlic clove, 1 chopped coriander root and 0.5 tsp fine salt to a smooth, fragrant paste. Set aside.
2. Cut 200 g of fish fillet into 2 cm dice, pick out any stray bones, and spread on a plate in the freezer for 10 minutes — the paste must stay cold to set springy rather than crumbly.
3. Put the chilled fish in a food processor with the pounded paste, 1 tsp fish sauce, 0.5 tsp caster sugar and 0.25 tsp ground white pepper. Blitz for 30 seconds, then add 1 tbsp egg white, 15 g tapioca flour and 2 tbsp iced water and blitz in 20-second bursts for about 2 minutes, scraping down, until you have a glossy, tacky paste with no visible flecks of flesh.