Sharing dishes is a traditional part of a Thai-style meal, and this pork and noodle salad is ideal for the family table. You can also eat it as a meal on its own, with a partner or friend. The glass noodles, fresh prawns and minced pork provide interesting textures, drizzled with a tasty Thai salad dressing for a kick of flavour.
80g (about 3 oz) dried glass noodles (also known as bean thread or cellophane noodles
200g (7 oz) pork mince
100g (3.5 oz) peeled prawns (shrimp)
½ small red onion, sliced
¼ cup spring onion (scallions), cut into 3cm batons
¼ cup roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)
chilli flakes, to taste (optional)
Dressing:
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp white sugar
1 long red chilli
Soak the glass noodles in room temperature water for 5 minutes or until softened slightly.
For the dressing, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the red chilli into a rough paste. Alternatively, finely chopped the red chilli. Add chilli to the dressing and set aside until ready to serve.
Cook soaked noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes or until softened and cooked through. Remove noodles from the water with tongs or a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl.
Place a sieve into the simmering noodle cooking water. Add pork into the sieve and cook, agitating until pork is cooked through. Drain pork using the sieve and add the pork into the noodles. Repeat this process with the prawns.
Add the dressing and herbs and toss until well combined. Add chilli flakes to taste (optional)
