In 1995, I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest chef at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok. I brought my sous chef and pastry chef with me, and for two weeks we toured the temples and markets of the city, seeing (and eating) many unusual and beautiful things. I vividly remember the profusion of flowers and the tasty and sometimes strange street food (such as the edible insect cart, which we avoided), and the gradual change from barely tolerating hot chiles to actually craving them on a daily basis. When I returned, my sous chef, Ronald Carr, helped me develop this dish to showcase the new flavors that I’d fallen for. This substantial salad could be served for lunch, dinner, or as a first course before something light, such as grilled fish. To lighten up the salad, you can add an extra handful of shredded cabbage or even more of the crispy noodles (keep in mind that the salad will be a bit drier if you do this). Small or medium shrimp work just fine in this recipe, and they’re less expensive than larger varieties.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　

Thai Base

1/2 cup fish sauce

　　1/3 cup ketjap manis (see Spicer Pantry, p. 14)

　　1/2 cup lime juice

　　1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 tablespoon sambal oelek (red chile paste)

　　

Crispy Rice Noodles

Vegetable oil, for frying

　　2 ounces dried rice noodles

　　

Salad

2 cups shredded napa cabbage

　　1 carrot, grated

　　4 scallions, sliced on the bias

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (any combination of mint, basil, Thai basil, and cilantro)

　　1/2 teaspoon very thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves

　　

Shrimp and Pork Mixture

2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

　　1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (4–5 shallots)

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 or 2 stalks lemongrass, minced (2 tablespoons)

　　2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

　　4 ounces shrimp, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

　　4 ounces lean pork, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

　　1/2 cup Thai Base

　　Salt, optional

　　Salad

　　Crispy Rice Noodles

　　

To Assemble

Shrimp and Pork Mixture

　　Salad

　　Crispy Rice Noodles

　　Thai Base

　　

Thai Base

Step 1

Whisk everything together and taste. Adjust for acidity, sweetness, and heat; set aside.

　　

Crispy Rice Noodles

Step 2

Heat 2 inches of the oil in a wok or large, deep skillet to 375°F, or just below the smoking point. Fry the noodles in two batches; they will cook and expand almost instantly (and the shape of the wok has room for the noodles to puff). Remove them with a slotted spoon or basket, and drain on paper towels.

　　

Salad

Step 3

Assemble the ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.

　　

Shrimp and Pork Mixture

Step 4

In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil and sauté the shallots and garlic until golden, stirring constantly so as not to burn the garlic. Add the lemongrass and ginger and stir for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and pork and cook, breaking up lumps with a spoon, for about 3 minutes. Add the Thai Base and stir to incorporate. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken for about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and remove from the heat.

　　

To Assemble

Step 5

Toss the warm shrimp and pork mixture with the salad ingredients until well combined. Add the noodles and toss again; serve immediately on a large platter or individual plates. Garnish with additional chopped herbs and a drizzle of the Thai Base, if desired.

　　

Notes

Step 6

The recipe for the Thai base makes more than you’ll need in this salad, but the base will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. It’s great to have on hand to flavor other dishes; you can basically use it anywhere you’d use soy sauce. Splash it into stir-fried broccoli, shrimp, eggplant, or noodles. It’s delicious with pork dishes as well.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.