One of the milder classic salads found all over Thailand, often made just with prawns, but here made with seafood. The vermicelli becomes almost translucent when soaked. As the dressing is absorbed quickly, don’t make the salad too far ahead.
Ingredients
- 4 oz ( 110 g) mung bean vermicelli
- 6 oz (175 g) mixed raw medium prawns (shrimp), squid tubes and scallops
- 8 mussels
- ½ oz (15 g) dried black fungus (about half a handful)
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 lemon grass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced
- 3 Asian shallots, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder or 2–3 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced
- 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
- a few lettuce leaves
- 1 long red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced, for garnish
How to Make It
- Soak the mung bean vermicelli in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, or until soft, then drain and roughly chop the noodles.
- Peel and devein the prawns and cut each prawn along the back so it opens like a butterfly (leave each prawn joined along the base and at the tail, leaving the tail attached).
- Peel off the skin from the squid tubes, rinse the insides and cut the tubes into 5 mm (¼ in) rings. Remove any dark veins from the scallops.
- Scrub the mussels and remove their hairy beards. Discard any open mussels and any that don’t close when tapped on the work surface.
- Soak the fungus in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, or until soft, then drain and roughly chop.
- Heat the oil in a small wok or frying pan and stir the garlic over medium heat until light brown. Transfer the fried garlic to a small bowl.
- Cook the prawns, squid rings and mussels in a saucepan or wok over medium heat with the lime juice and fish sauce for 1–2 minutes, or until the prawns open and turn pink. Add the scallops and cook for 1 minute. Discard any unopened mussels. Add the vermicelli and chopped black fungus and cook for 2 minutes, or until the vermicelli is cooked. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon grass, shallots, chilli powder or chillies, and spring onions and mix well. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Line a serving plate with lettuce leaves, then spoon the seafood over the leaves. Sprinkle with chilli slices and the fried garlic.
