Vietnamese Noodle Salad (or Bun with Nuoc Cham)

My first introduction to Vietnamese noodle salad (or bun as my roommate who lived in South East Asia calls it) was by way of the sandwich shop in my office food court, which is run by a Vietnamese family. Mo, Tu, Th, Fr they serve hearty soup/sandwich combos and specials like Mac & Cheese and Beef Dip, but Wednesday we all look forward to noodle salad day. However when I switched to a pescetarian diet I was disappointed to discover the spring rolls on the salad were made with pork (and no veggie alternative) , so I finally broke down and made my own bun from scratch.

Apart from this dish being DELICIOUS, there are 3 other reasons why you will enjoy it:
1. You can vary the ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your fridge
2. The presentation is beautiful, so you will impress any one you make this for
3. It's shockingly easy! Can you chop vegetables? Can you mix a salad dressing? Can you cook meat (or even reheat spring rolls)? Then you can make this, and under 30 minutes!

Basic ingredients to make this are:
- vermicelli (rice noodles)
- some combination of spring rolls, meat, and/or tofu, preferably spiced with lemongrass
- fresh vegetables (I used cucumber, carrots, green onions, tomatos and lettuce)
- garnish/toppings (I suggest cilantro, crushed peanuts, and a lime wedge)

Making the Nuoc Cham dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbspn chili paste (more or less depending on your taste, and I like the Sambal Oelek brand)
- 1 tbspn sugar (to sweeten)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (I'm told you can find a vegetarian knock off at Asian stores, but failing that you could dilute soy sauce with water and achieve a similar result, or use sesame oil)
- 2 tbspn lime juice

1. Dissolve sugar into 1/4 cup hot water. Add other ingredients and stir until combined. Adjust sugar and chili paste for desired sweet/spiciness. Add more water to dilute (should have the consistency of a vinaigrette dressing). Set aside.

2. Chop/shred your vegetables. I like to shred the carrots, lettuce and cucumber mostly for appearance but also because it's easier to eat with chopsticks.

3. Cook the vermicelli like you would spaghetti (in boiling water). It will have a very short cooking time (around 2 minutes). Drain when done and set aside to cool.

4. Cook your meat/tofu/spring rolls. I made this with shrimp (because they were on sale) but pork, chicken, beef, or even a meaty white fish would also be good. Tofu will also pick up a nice flavour from whatever you cook it in. I quickly marinated my shrimp in a mix of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and sesame oil and then fried them until browned (had it not been -20 outside I would have barbecued them so they pick up that nice smokey flavour). If you are concerned with aesthetics, I strongly recommend barbecuing on skewers and serving the meat still on the skewer, lying crossed over each bowl.

5. Fill the bottom of each bowl with the noodles. Add vegetables on top. Then add spring rolls / meat / tofu. Finish by sprinkling cilantro and peanuts on top. Pour Nuoc Cham dressing on top (or serve at the table if you're entertaining guests) and garnish each dish with a slice of lime.

I enjoyed this dinner with a Riesling (2007 Dienhard Piesporter Riesling, from the Mosel region of Germany). A sweeter wine should help balance the spice in Asian foods. This particular wine was a little drier than I expected for a German Riesling, and slightly effervescent. The citrus and peach aroma follows through on the palate with a medium body and crisp finish that will compliment the strong flavours in this dish.

On another note, some one in my wine class brought an Indian Syrah in today (2008 Reveilo, if you're looking for it). A quick Google search reveals that it is one of the more revered Indian wines, but my tasting notes have the oddest comments. "Bouquet of old leather, campfire, and smoked paprika" and "a palate of roasted red pepper, spices, and smoked meat with a creamy finish." Huh.

Bon appetit every one, or in Vietnamese: Ăn ngon nhé!