With National Noodle Month recognised throughout March, this week’s recipe is a fresh, satisfying Thai salad. Created by Andy Oliver (Som Saa) in collaboration with Singha Beer, the recipe is designed to be paired with a cold beer and seems ideal for the warmer months. Serving four as part of a shared Thai meal, this dish takes less than an hour to prepare and cook and can be made with pork and seafood, too.
Ingredients
Serves four as part of a shared Thai meal
Mung bean (glass) noodles, 150g
Fresh squid, 200g, cleaned and scored finely then cut into bite-sized chunks
Fresh raw tiger prawns, 200g, cleaned and veins removed
Sea salt, 1tsp
Lemongrass, 1 stick
Asian leaves (Chinese celery), a small handful, stems cut into 3-4cm lengths
Tomatoes (ideally slightly under ripe), 2 small and firm, cut into wedges
Spring onions, 3-4, cut into 2cm lengths
Thai shallots, 3-4, peeled and sliced (or ½ small red onion sliced thinly)
Garlic, 1tsp, sliced and fried
Coriander leaves (with some stalk), a small handful
Red and/or green birds eye chillies, 3-5
Garlic, 3 cloves
Coriander roots, 2
Lime juice, 4tbsp
Fish sauce, 3.5tbsp
Caster sugar, 1tbsp heaped
Lollo Bianco lettuce, a few leaves
Method
First soak the glass noodles in cold water until soft and pliable, for about 20 minutes. Once soaked, blanch the noodles in boiling, lightly salted water for 10-15 seconds or until just cooked. Drain and set aside.
Now set a new pot of water onto the boil, salt it lightly. Bruise the lemongrass stalk and add it to the pot. Now add the prawns and squid and simmer gently for 30 seconds or until just cooked. Drain and set aside.
Next make the dressing: In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, chillies and coriander roots to make a coarse paste. Mix in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste to check the seasoning: it should taste hot, sour, slightly salty and a tiny bit sweet.
Now assemble the salad: Add the cooked noodles and seafood to a mixing bowl, followed by the rest of the salad ingredients except the lettuce leaves. Toss through the dressing and serve, adding a few lettuce leaves to the plate.
Ingredients
- 150 grams Mung bean (glass) noodles
- 200 grams Fresh squid cleaned and scored finely then cut into bite-sized chunks
- 200 grams Fresh raw tiger prawns cleaned and veins removed
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 stick of Lemongrass
- a small handfull of Asian leaves (Chinese celery), stems cut into 3-4cm lengths
- 2 small and firm Tomatoes (ideally slightly under ripe), cut into wedges
- 3 – 4 Spring onions cut into 2cm lengths
- 3 – 4 Thai shallots, peeled and sliced (or ½ small red onion sliced thinly)
- 1 tsp Garlic sliced and fried
- a small handfull of Coriander leaves (with some stalk)
- 3 – 5 Red and/or green birds eye chillies
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- 2 Coriander roots
- 4 tbsp Lime juice
- 3.5 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Caster sugar
- a few leaves of Lollo Bianco lettuce
Instructions
- First soak the glass noodles in cold water until soft and pliable, for about 20 minutes
- Once soaked, blanch the noodles in boiling, lightly salted water for 10-15 seconds or until just cooked
- Drain and set aside
- Now set a new pot of water onto the boil, salt it lightly. Bruise the lemongrass stalk and add it to the pot
- Now add the prawns and squid and simmer gently for 30 seconds or until just cooked. Drain and set aside
- Next make the dressing: In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, chillies and coriander roots to make a coarse paste
- Mix in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar
- Taste to check the seasoning: it should taste hot, sour, slightly salty and a tiny bit sweet.
- Now assemble the salad: Add the cooked noodles and seafood to a mixing bowl, followed by the rest of the salad ingredients except the lettuce leaves
- Toss through the dressing and serve, adding a few lettuce leaves to the plate
