Soak the dried shrimp in a small bowl in just enough water to cover the shrimp.

Make the dressing by combining the fish sauce, lime juice, finely chopped garlic clove and birds-eye chillies, salt, and white sugar in a bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste: start with 1 birds-eye chilli and if not enough add another, if it’s too salty for you, add more sugar.

If adding prahok (fermented fish paste), soak 1 tsp of prahok in water, stirring rigorously until most is dissolved, then drain, retaining the prahok liquid. Add this, little by little to the dressing, then adjust as necessary to ensure the flavour is balanced, and leave to sit so the flavours meld together.

Remove the heads, tails and spines of the small dried smoked fish. Using a pestle, pound the remainder of the smoked fish in a mortar, pulling out and discarding the skin which will rise to the surface, then feel for any tiny sharp bones and pull them out.

Cut the long beans into 2cm lengths and place into the mortar and pound lightly.

Drain and pat dry the dried shrimp, add half to the mortar, and pound lightly.

Combine the beans, dried shrimp, and half the pounded smoked fish to a salad bowl.

Add the dressing to the salad bowl, little by little, combining and tasting.

Add half the fresh herbs to the salad bowl, combine everything, and then serve onto a plate, piling it into a mound loosely, as pictured above.

Sprinkle the remaining fresh fragrant herbs, pounded smoked fish, and dried shrimp on top and served immediately.