Lemongrass chicken rice noodle bowl

Servings: 2

• Dried rice vermicelli (bún)150 g
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs400 g
• Lemongrass stalks2
• Shallots2
• Garlic cloves3
• Phu Quoc fish sauce3 tbsp
• Sugar4 tbsp
• Rice bran oil or another neutral oil2 tbsp
• Ground black pepperto taste
• Saltto taste
• Carrot80 g
• Daikon120 g
• Rice vinegar3 tbsp
• Water150 ml
• Lime1
• Cucumber1
• Lettuce100 g
• Mint15 g
• Thai basil15 g
• Vietnamese coriander (rau răm)15 g
• Roasted unsalted peanuts30 g

One step per screen, large, with timers.

Method

1. 01

   Cut the carrot and daikon into thin matchsticks, toss with a pinch of salt and squeeze out the liquid after 5 minutes. Mix the rice vinegar with a third of the water and a quarter of the sugar, pour it over the vegetables and leave them until you build the bowls.

   5 min timer

2. 02

   Peel the tough outer layers off the lemongrass and finely chop the pale lower part; finely chop the shallots and two thirds of the garlic. Mix with a third of the fish sauce, a quarter of the sugar, half the oil and a little pepper. Score the thickest parts of the thighs, rub in the marinade and leave for 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). Towards the end, heat the oven to 200 °C.

   30 min timer

3. 03

   Lay the chicken in one layer on a tray lined with baking paper and roast for 20 minutes, until the juices run clear when pierced. Brush with the remaining oil and switch to the grill for 3–5 minutes, until the edges char and caramelise.

   20 min timer

4. 04

   While the chicken roasts, cook the noodles in boiling water as the packet says, usually 4–5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Fresh bún only needs a minute in boiling water.

   5 min timer

5. 05

   For the nước chấm, warm the remaining water slightly and dissolve the remaining sugar in it, then add the rest of the fish sauce, the lime juice and the last of the garlic, finely chopped. Taste it: sweet, sour and salty should balance; add more lime or sugar if needed.

6. 06

   Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice it into strips. Meanwhile, tear the lettuce, cut the cucumber into matchsticks, pick the mint, basil and rau răm leaves and roughly chop the peanuts.

   5 min timer

7. 07

   Build the bowls: lettuce and herbs at the bottom, noodles on top, then cucumber, the drained pickles and chicken, scattered with peanuts. Serve the nước chấm on the side and pour it over just before eating.

Allergens

• fish
• peanuts

Shop-bought products differ — check the label.

If you leave something out

Fish and seafood

Use light soy sauce instead of fish sauce, same amount, in the marinade and the nước chấm, or a vegetarian fish sauce (check the label). The taste shifts, and soy sauce brings soy and gluten into the dish.

Meat and poultry

Use the same weight of firm tofu (soy) instead of chicken: cut it into 1.5 cm slabs, pat dry with paper towel, marinate the same way and roast for 20–25 minutes until the edges colour.

Nuts

Simply leave out the peanuts; nothing else changes. For crunch, scatter over a shallot sliced thin and fried in oil until golden instead; shop-bought fried shallots can contain wheat flour, so check the label.