Thai Yum Woon Sen Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

• 4 oz dried glass noodles, mung bean vermicelli
• 10 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
• 2 to 3 bird's eye chilies, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup cilantro and mint leaves
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Steps

1. Put the glass noodles in a heatproof bowl, cover them with just-boiled water, and soak for 6 to 8 minutes until they are soft and clear but still springy when you bite one. Drain, rinse under cold running water to stop them cooking, and cut through the pile two or three times with scissors.
2. Bring a small pan of salted water to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Poach the shrimp for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, just until they turn pink and curl into a loose C shape; a tight O means they are overcooked.
3. Lift the shrimp straight into a bowl of iced water for 1 minute to stop the cooking, then drain them well and pat them dry.
4. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chilies together in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Do not add water. The dressing should taste too salty, too sour, and too hot on its own, because the noodles will absorb it and mute everything.
5. Add the drained noodles to the dressing first and toss for a minute so they soak it up, then fold in the shrimp, red onion, tomatoes, and celery.
6. Add the herbs and half the peanuts and toss once more, lightly, so the leaves do not bruise. Taste and adjust: more lime for sharpness, fish sauce for salt, a pinch of sugar to round it off.
7. Serve at room temperature with the remaining peanuts scattered over. Dress the salad no more than 15 minutes before eating or the noodles go soft and oversalted.

Allergen note: Contains shellfish, fish, and peanuts.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.