John Torode's Vietnamese summer feast
John's starting the week with a light and fresh summer dish that will fire up your taste buds. Vietnamese grilled prawns with rice noodle and herb salad with a chilli dressingPerfect for a lighter lunch or dinner if you're feeling groggy after the weekend. John uses a chilli dressing to spice things up and fresh herbs for a bit of crunch.
Vietnamese prawns and glass noodle salad
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the dressing
Juice of 3 limes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Thai shallots, finely chopped (or regular shallots)
2 long red chillies, finely chopped
40g palm sugar
40ml fish sauce
3 coriander root or 6 coriander stalks
300g glass noodles soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and drained (Mung bean Rice Vermicelli)
16 large prawns, shells removed (keep the shells)
100ml veg oil
2 Thai shallots, finely sliced (or regular shallots)
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds
For the salad
Handful fresh mint
Handful Thai basil
Handful coriander leaves (use the stems for the dressing)
1 cucumber, shredded
2 handfuls beansprouts
1 handful Chinese cabbage or pak choi, shredded
2 spring onions shredded on the bias
8 large lettuce cups to serve (Cos)
Method
1. First make the dressing, putting all the ingredients in a blender and blending quickly so it still has a little texture but to a dressing consistency.
2. Using the shells from the prawns, boil them in the vegetable oil until pink, add a good pinch of salt and strain, and keep the oil. Take the prawn tails and cut them in half long ways and remove any grit.
3. Heat half the prawn oil in a wok and fry the shallots and garlic for one minute until golden, add the prawns and cook quickly.
4. Using a pair of scissors cut the rice noodles into finger length pieces and place in a bowl and pour over with half of the dressing and mix well, leave whilst you finish cooking the prawns.
5. Now make the salad. Mix the herbs with the shredded cucumber, beansprouts, cabbage and spring onions and toss well, add a few spoons of the dressing.
6. When the prawns are cooked, sprinkle them with the sesame seeds and drop them in the bowl with the dressed noodles.
7. Now mix in the salad and serve in the lettuce cups with extra chopped chill and dressing on the side and drizzle with a little prawn oil.