Welcome again to the Chef Space where we whisper (not so loudly) some of the best kept kitchen secrets from Auckland’s most celebrated chefs.
Vietnamese has always been a favourite for the fresh clean taste and I learned how easy it is to prepare from one of Sachie Kitchen’s Brigade 6 classes where TriBeCa’s Hayden McMillan was our host and teacher.
Out of the 3 dishes we made, this one was my favourite – and when you try this in the kitchen – you can see why!
Vietnamese Prawn and Rice Noodle Salad
Ingredients (serves 4):
200g rice vermicelli noodles
1 large carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
1 telegraph cucumber, seeds removed, cut into thin matchsticks
1 long red chili, seeds removed, cut into thin matchsticks
300g peeled cooked prawns (tails intact), deveined
1 cup (75g) bean sprouts
1/4 cup each of mint, coriander and Thai basil leaves
Nouc cham dressing:
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice
1 long red chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Method:
1. For the nuoc cham, stir the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice in a bowl to dissolve the sugar, then stir in chili and garlic. Set aside.
2. Prepare the rice noodles according to packet instructions, drain well, then place in a large bowl.
3. Add the carrot, cucumber, chili, prawns, bean sprouts and herbs to the bowl of noodles. Add the dressing, toss well to combine, then serve.
Super easy! The nouc cham dressing is the secret to the recipe. You can even make more of the dressing and pop it in the fridge for more homemade Vietnamese glamour another time.
* Extra tips from the chef himself:
– Add the dressing before the vermicelli cools, otherwise it can stick together
– Add the carrot and cucumber at the end for that fresh crunch
– Don’t worry about chopping up the herbs, using your fingers to bruise it will get the flavours out
If this worked out for your lazy night in or dinner party, we want to hear about it! Stick a photo of it on the Ultimate OmNoms Facebook Page or leave a comment if you tweaked the recipe to make it work better for you!
