Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone
User Reviews
5
Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone
Description
Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone features thin glass noodles softened in a brief blanch before being combined with gently poached abalone slices. The dish uses a uniquely flavored sauce made from abalone brine, water, gula melaka (a palm sugar alternative), fish sauce, rice vinegar, and minced garlic, which gives the salad a blend of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. Additional ingredients like thinly sliced red onion, coriander leaves, spring onion, dried shrimp fried until crisp, and ground peanuts contribute crisp textures and bursts of herbal and nutty accents.
The preparation carefully avoids overcooking the abalone, aiming to keep its texture tender rather than rubbery. The cooking water from poaching is retained for its subtle stock qualities and can be repurposed for other dishes. The combination of poached abalone and blanched noodles ensures a light mouthfeel, while the sauce binds the elements with a balanced brightness. The salad is suitable for serving in individual portions, making it a refined dish appropriate for special gatherings or Lunar New Year celebrations.
Using store-bought canned abalone simplifies preparation while delivering the distinctive flavor. Multiply the recipe as needed to serve more people. The inclusion of additional texture elements like fried shrimp and peanuts enhances the eating experience without complicating the overall profile.
Ingredients
- 1 bundle glass noodles about 37.5g/ 1.3 oz
- 8 lices abalone About ⅓ of a can, thinly sliced, canned
Sauce (We only need 5 Tablespoons per person.)
- ⅓ Cup water used to blanch the noodles and abalone
- 4 Tablespoons abalone brine
- 1 Tablespoon gula melaka Substitute: brown sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1½ Tablespoons rice vinegar Substitute: fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
Ingredients
- ¾ red onion sliced thinly, small
- 1 prig Coriander rough chop the leaves. Save the stem and roots for other recipes.
- 1 spring onion sliced thinly
- 1 Tablespoon dried shrimp pan-fried
- 1 Tablespoon peanut or to taste, ground
Instructions
Prepping the noodles and abalone
- They can be made pliable by soaking in water but since I'm poaching the abalone, I thought I might as well cook the noodles too. Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat then blanch the thin noodles for 1-2 minutes. Tip: if you have a small sieve like I do, place the noodles in them before putting it in the boiling water. It makes it easier to fish the noodles out later!
- Once soft, remove, and carefully drain off the excess water and pour the noodles into a large bowl.
- Using the same pot of boiling water, lower the heat. You want it simmering not boiling hot. Place the abalone slices in the sieve and poach in the simmering water till warm, then add to the bowl in Step 1. Note: We don't want to overcook the abalone as we want them nice and tender! Tip: keep this water- it's like a diluted abalone stock, great for soups, congee or braises!
Making the sauce
- Leave ⅓ Cup of poaching water in the pot and keep the rest.
- To the ⅓ Cup of water, add approximately 4 Tablespoons of the canned abalone brine and 1 Tablespoon of Gula Melaka sugar and stir till dissolved. If the sugar is stubbornly solid, turn the fire on to low and stir.
- Once dissolved, switch off the fire and stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients: 1.5 Tablespoons of rice vinegar (or fresh lime juice), 1.5 Tablespoons of fish sauce (or to taste, since different brands have different levels of saltiness) and the garlic.
- Mix well and taste. Add salt if necessary (unlikely as fish sauce is salty.)
Assembling
- Add 5 Tablespoons of sauce from Step 3 to the bowl of noodles from Step 1 and mix well. (Extra sauce can be served on the dining table for people to help themselves.)
- Add the onions, chilies, coriander and spring onion to the noodles and mix till everything is well-coated with the sauce.
- Now, sprinkle the dried shrimps and ground peanuts (if using) on top. Serve and enjoy!Note: We don't add them in the previous Step as we don't want them to become soggy.
Notes
- This recipe yields one serving; multiply ingredients proportionally for more servings.
- Gula melaka can be substituted with brown sugar if unavailable.
- Retain the abalone poaching water as a mild stock base for soups or congee.
- Use the coriander stems and roots in other recipes to avoid waste.
- The nutritional information provided is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1person
Amount Per Serving
Calories 635 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 635kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 118g | 39% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 169mg | 56% |
| Sodium | 2896mg | 121% |
| Potassium | 412mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 127IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 179mg | 18% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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