Com ga rau thom (chicken with rice and mint)

Nuoc cham dressing

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 fresh bird's eye chilli trimmed and deseeded if preferred
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 120 g water
• 50 g fish sauce
• 50 g rice wine vinegar
• 40 g palm sugar

Chicken and rice

• 250 g jasmine rice
• 1200 g water plus extra as required
• 2 tbsp Chicken stock paste (see Tips)
• 40 g fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin slices
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets (approx. 700 g), cut lengthways into quarters
• 3 spring onions/shallots cut into thin slices, to serve
• 20 fresh mint leaves (approx. 2 sprigs), to serve
• 100 g cucumber cut into thin slices, to serve