Vietnamese Prawns with Coriander and Rice Noodles

I absolutely adore these sweet, sour, flavours in the dressing. The sugar and the saltiness of the fish sauce are perfectly offset by the heat of the chilli.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 700g (1½lb) tiger prawns, peeled, scored down the back, deveined, rinsed and patted dry!
  • 2 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 115g (4oz) thin rice stick noodles, softened in boiling water for 5 min, drained and rinsed,
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 115g (4oz) mange tout, cut in half, (or bean sprouts, rinsed and drained)
  • 115g (4oz) spring onions, sliced
  • 75g (3oz) peanuts, toasted under the grill until golden (rub off skins, then blow them away outside!!), and chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

VIETNAMESE DRESSING

  • 50g (2 oz) sugar, or more to taste
  • 100ml (3 fl.oz) fish sauce
  • 100ml (3fl.oz) Japanese rice vinegar
  • 2 small chillies, seeded and sliced finely
  • 4 cloves of crushed garlic

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and add more sugar or soy sauce if it needs it. 
  2. In a bowl, toss together the prawns with the ginger and fish sauce.  Arrange the noodles on serving plates, or one large plate. 
  3. Heat a wok, add 1 tbsp of the oil, and cook the prawns until they are just cooked, about 2-3 minutes, add the mange tout and spring onions, and cook for 1 more minute. 
  4. Transfer to the plate on top of the noodles Sprinkle over the toasted peanuts, coriander and dressing. Serve either hot or cold.