Thai rice noodle salad

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose one topping: pork in step 4, or steak in steps 5–8. Put the half pack fine dry vermicelli rice noodles and washed bean sprouts (200 g) in a heatproof bowl. Cover fully with freshly boiling water and leave for about four minutes, until the noodles are tender and the sprouts are thoroughly hot and cooked. Check the noodle packet and continue as needed; use fresh boiling water if the first water cools before they are cooked.

   Steep fine vermicelli and sprouts until cooked · 4 minUses ½ pack fine dry vermicelli rice noodles · 200 g bean sprouts · Boiling water sufficient to cover noodles and sprouts; cold water for cooling afterward

2. 2

   Step 2: Drain the cooked noodles and sprouts, cool under cold running water, then drain thoroughly again. Return all the cooled drained noodles and sprouts to a clean bowl.

   Uses All the cooked noodles and sprouts · Cold running water for cooling

3. 3

   Step 3: Wash both limes, finely grate their zest and squeeze their juice. Stir all this zest and juice with the muscovado sugar (1 tsp) and two tablespoons fish sauce until the sugar dissolves; add up to the remaining tablespoon fish sauce to taste. Peel, halve and thinly slice the red onion (1). Separate, wash, drain and roughly tear both Little Gem lettuce hearts (2). Toss all the dressing, onion and lettuce through the prepared noodles and sprouts.

   Uses All the cooled prepared noodles and sprouts · Zest and juice from both limes · 2–3 tbsp fish sauce, to taste · 1 tsp muscovado sugar · 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced in step 3 · 2 Little Gem lettuce hearts, leaves separated and roughly torn in step 3

4. 4

   Step 4: Pork (500 g) option only: peel and grate the small knob fresh ginger. Heat a little of the separate pork-frying oil in a non-stick pan. Add all the raw minced pork, ginger and pinch cayenne pepper and stir-fry for about ten minutes, breaking up the mince, until browned and fully cooked through to 71°C. Toss all this cooked topping into the prepared base salad, divide between four bowls and serve warm. If you chose pork, skip steps 5–8.

   Pork option: fry mince until fully cooked · 10 minUses All the prepared base salad, if choosing pork · 500 g raw minced pork, for the pork option only · 1 small knob fresh ginger, grated, for pork option only · 1 pinch cayenne pepper, for pork option only · A little oil for frying pork, pork option only

5. 5

   Step 5: Steak option only: skip the pork step. Heat the measured one teaspoon sunflower oil for the steak pan in a frying pan while you coat the steaks in the next step.

   Uses 1 tsp sunflower oil for the steak frying pan, steak option only

6. 6

   Step 6: Steak option only: tip all two tablespoons sesame seeds onto a plate. Rub the separate one teaspoon coating oil over all four 175 g sirloin steaks, then press them into the sesame seeds to coat.

   Uses 2 tbsp sesame seeds, steak option only · 1 tsp oil for coating the steaks, steak option only · All four 175 g sirloin steaks

7. 7

   Step 7: Steak option only: fry the coated steaks in the prepared pan for about five minutes, turning halfway, and continue as needed until their thickest parts reach at least 63°C. Lift onto a clean plate and rest for five minutes before slicing thinly.

   Uses The prepared steak pan · All four prepared coated steaks

8. 8

   Step 8: Steak option only: wash, deseed and finely shred the red chilli (1), and wash the handful mint leaves. Toss all the prepared chilli and mint through the base noodle salad. Divide into four portions and top each with the cooked rested sliced sesame steak to serve.

   Uses All the prepared base salad, if choosing steak · All four prepared sliced steaks · 1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded, steak option only · 1 handful fresh mint leaves, steak option only