Yum woon sen + leftovers
I love glass noodles. These clever little slithers - surprisingly - made of mung beans and not the usual rice are exactly what I feel like on a hot day in South London. This particular lime-drenched salad strongly reminds me of our Thai honeymoon. Each evening, living island life, we went to eat supper in a makeshift restaurant essentially over the forecourt of a petrol station. There were a couple of little kiosks, brightly coloured plastic stools, rickety tables and the glorious option for BYO. Each of these stalls were operated by women who giggled at our incessant requests to add more chillies and avid quizzing of cooking techniques. There was one especially beautiful lady who specialised in vermicelli noodle dishes and she was my absolute favourite. So long as the food is delicious (is indeed it was, limey, fishy and super fresh) I would eat almost anywhere. These are blissful memories.
I’ve gone a bit off culinary piste here and used leftover chicken from a lovely french hen we roasted last night. Stripped from the bone, roast chicken is fine to add to any dish like this, is frugal and very tasty. In keeping with the off piste direction I threw in fresh mint and basil. Traditionally Yum woon sen would call for coriander leaves and roots. I’m not a fan, so there you go. Another note on the choice of ingredients: don’t be shy of the dried shrimp or fish sauce. These provide the funk you need with the clean plain flavours of fresh cabbage and noodles.
Using up leftovers or any loitering ingredients you have kicking around is so very satisfying. I love nothing more than releasing succulent meat from a bird to use in a new meal. I suppose I’m naturally stingy. Both the process of stripping a carcass and enjoying a thrifty supper are thoroughly recommendable. Equally, the celery leaves (which are actually very authentic here) would otherwise have been wasted. Hurray.
120g raw peanuts
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
20g palm sugar
20g fish sauce
70g lime juice
1 fresh birds eye chilli
1 dried long red chilli
10g dried shirmps
150g vermicelli / mung bean noodles
150g left over roast chicken, chopped
20g celery leaves, finely chopped
150g white cabbage, finely shredded
5g mint and basil leaves
Firstly roast the peanuts in a dry pan over a moderate heat. They can burn easily so keep a close eye on business. Remove from the pan immediately to cool. Using a blender or nutribullet, combine the garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and chillies. This should be totally smooth. Now add the dried shrimp so it can rehydrate a little as you prepare the rest of the salad.
Pour boiling water over your noodles, or follow the packet instructions. Drain well, rinse and cool. Combine the noodles, roast chicken, celery leaves, white cabbage and herbs in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Roughly chop the roasted peanuts and scatter most of these through the salad. Pour over the dressing and toss. Scatter the remaining peanuts over the top and serve. It’s pretty much all you will need for supper.
