Finely chop all ‘The Paste’ ingredients and then pound well in a pestle and mortar until smooth. Bash the 2 lemongrass sticks and rub the kaffir lime leaves between your fingertips to bring out their essential oils.

Boil the rice vermicelli for 3–4 minutes until softened, then strain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Twist into neat little nests around a fork and then place on a large plate. Soft boil your eggs in salted water by placing in cold water, once on the boil, cook for 3 minutes. Once cooked, cool in a bowl of cold water (you can use the same bowl as the noodles) and then peel the eggs and cut in half.

Bring 1–2 tbsp vegetable oil to a medium heat in a saucepan and gently fry the paste for 3–5 minutes or until fragrant. Once the aroma turns from ‘grassy’ to sweet and aromatic, pour the chicken stock. Allow to cook for 2–3 minutes and then add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves into the pan and bring to boil once more. Add the chicken thighs and cook them for 8–10 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked cut it into 2–3 cm cubes. Serve in a bowl with noodles, a ladle of soup, the egg and coriander. Add a spoonful of sambal and a squeeze of lime for extra flavour.