Recipe

Vietnamese noodles

Aug 27, 2013 2:00pm
  • 25 mins preparation
  • 10 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Ingredients

Vietnamese noodles
  • 3 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup (55g) white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
  • 500 gram chicken thigh fillet, excess fat trimmed
  • 375 gram rice vermicelli noodles
  • 2 cup (160g) beansprouts, trimmed
  • 1/2 iceberg lettuce, coarsely shredded
  • 1 carrot, coarsely grated
  • 1 lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways,cut into thick matchsticks
  • 1 cup mixed herbs, such as mint, thai basil, vietnamese mint, coriander, plus extra to garnish
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 small birdseye chilli, finely chopped chopped peanuts, to garnish (optional)

Method

Vietnamese noodles
  • 1
    Combine half of garlic, 1/4 cup of fish sauce, 2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and the lemongrass, in a large glass bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to marinate.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, place noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Stand for 5 minutes, using a fork to separate noodles, until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
  • 3
    Divide drained noodles between serving bowls. Divide beansprouts, lettuce, carrot, cucumber and herbs between bowls.
  • 4
    To make dressing, combine 1/2 cup water, lime juice and chilli with remaining garlic, fish sauce, sugar and peanut oil. Set aside salad base while you cook chicken.
  • 5
    Preheat a barbecue or char-grill on medium. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until brown and cooked through.
  • 6
    Slice each thigh fillet lengthways into strips and divide between bowls. Top with extra herbs and chopped peanut, if using. Serve dressing alongside.

Notes

The noodles stick together: The key to perfectly cooked rice vermicelli is to rinse the cooked noodles in a colander just until they are cool. At the same time, use your hands to separate the noodles, then drain well.

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