Thai Vietnamese Salad Bar Supreme Recipes

THAI-VIETNAMESE SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Arrange salad bar ingredients in attractive dishes and bowls as you prepare them: romaine, baby mixed greens, bean sprouts, daikon or red radishes, carrots, scallions, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, mint leaves, basil leaves, nuts and sweet almond or anise"croutons".
• Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.
• Combine soy and oil in a shallow dish.
• Add chicken and turn to coat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle fish with oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Grill chicken 3 minutes on each side.
• Cut chicken into strips on an angle and place onto a serving plate.
• Grill fish 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until opaque.
• Squeeze lime over the fish and break up into chunks as you transfer it to a serving plate.
• Combine all ingredients, except oil, for peanut dressing in a blender.
• Blend for 30 seconds, then open lid and continue dressing by pouring slowly in oil.
• Transfer dressing to a serving dish and sprinkle the dressing with a spoonful of nuts from your salad bar to garnish the dish.
• For garlic dressing, whisk vinegar, jelly, garlic, black pepper and chili oil together.
• Slowly pour in vegetable oil while continuing to whisk.
• When the oil is thoroughly mixed, transfer dressing to a small dish to serve.

VIETNAMESE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• A pinch of brown sugar goes in to a small deep bowl, mixed with the juice of a lime and a teaspoon each of fish sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine). Add in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil (or any other plain oil), ½ a minced garlic clove and half a red chilli chopped small with the seeds in. Give this Asian broth a stir to mix and add in 3 shredded spring onions. Leave to sit for an hour or so.
• Put a portion of dried rice or glass noodles in a bowl of boiling water and leave to one side until soften.
• As the noodles soften, chop 150g of sweetheart cabbage fairly finely and shred a carrot with a vegetable peeler and slice a couple of radishes, rough chopped 10g of fresh mint and tear up 20g of coriander and a cooked chicken breast.
• When the noodles are softened drain and run through with cold water to cool them mostly, but a little warmth helps it take on flavour.
• Mix all of the ingredients together well to coat in the noodles, vegetables and chicken in the piquant-Asian liquor. It works best if you leave it to stand for at least 30 minutes. If you're leaving to stand longer (over might for example) then cover and pop it in the fridge and only add the mint and coriander before serving, amkkng sure it's room temperature.
• Apply to your face - preferably al fresco in a sunny park with crisp white wine on a lovely picnic.

SPICY THAI BASIL & LIME JUMBO SHRIMP VIETNAMESE SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the shrimp:.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime or lemon juice, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the oil, garlic, basil and chili. If you wish, pour the marinade into a blender and pulse until smooth.
• Place the shrimp and marinade into a resealable gallon plastic bag. Squeeze out the air; and seal the bag. Hold onto the two ends, shake the bag to coat the pieces evenly. Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning the bag every 30 minutes or so to redistribute the marinade.
• Put the rice vermicelli into a large bowl with water to cover. Let soak until pliable, about 30 minutes. In a large pot of boinling water, cook the vermicelli for no more than 5 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Transfer to a dish, cover with plastic wrap and wet aside.
• In a small sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the scallions until fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Toss the rice vermicelli with the scallion oil ( including the scallions) and transfer to a serving platter.
• On a serving platter, arrange, in individual piles the carrots, lettuce leaves, carambolas ( if using), cucmber and mint sprigs. Put the peanuts in a separte bowl.
• Cook the shrimp:.
• Just before you are ready to serve, prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to high (500F). Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the shrimp, turning them frequently to prevent burning, for 2 to 3 minutes, until evenly pink and golden on both sides.
• To Serve:.
• Instruct your guests to take some vericelli, carrots, cucumbers, carambolas, lettus leaves (freshly torn), mint leaves (pinching off the sems and freshly torn), and toss in their individual dishes ( a large soup bowl or deep plate is best) until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Place the grilled shrimp on top, sprinkle with peanuts and drizzle with the nauc cham. Serves 6 to 8.
• Wine Recommendations: Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, or chilled Morgon from Beaujoliais.