Glass noodle salad with chicken

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 200 g glass noodles
• 1 large chicken thigh (free-range chicken thigh), cooked and cut up
• 2 handfuls of soy sprouts, fresh
• 1 cucumber(s) (approx. 7 cm)
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 2 spring onions
• 1 handful of mint, fresh
• 1 handful of coriander, fresh
• 1 handful of peanuts, unsalted, roughly chopped
• 1 lime(s), squeezed
• 3 tbsp sugar, brown
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 400 ml broth or water
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 chili peppers, red, chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• 3 garlic cloves, cut into pieces
• 5 slices of ginger
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
• ½ tsp peppercorns, crushed
• 1 handful of fried onions (optional)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Aromatic and incredibly refreshing

First, prepare the stock. I melt the sugar in a small saucepan and let it caramelize slightly. Then I deglaze with the vinegar. Caution: Danger of burns! The vinegar evaporates immediately and is boiling hot! If the sugar sticks to the bottom of the pan, don’t worry; it will gradually dissolve. Then add the stock and the remaining chopped ingredients. I bring everything back to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. The stock is allowed to steep for 20-30 minutes. It should be sweet, sour, and spicy. If you think it’s too strong, it’s just right. Next, it’s time to chop: The carrot and cucumber need to be cut into the finest julienne strips possible. This takes work, but once it’s done, the hardest part is over. I cut the spring onion into 3-4 mm wide slices. The herbs are roughly chopped, and the bean sprouts are simply washed. Then I prepare the glass noodles. Most packages say to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes and then boil them for one minute. I make it easy: I pour boiling water from the kettle over them in a metal bowl, add a little salt, and let them steep for 10-15 minutes. This has always worked very well so far. I strain the liquid so that I don’t accidentally get any of the chilies, spices, or garlic into the salad. Then I mix the meat with the sprouts, noodles, and vegetables in a bowl, and pour 1-2 ladles of the liquid over them. I let it marinate for a few minutes. Then I mix in the herbs and arrange the salad on deep plates. If you like, I can add fried onions on top. Only at the end do I drizzle the lime juice over each portion and top with the peanuts. This not only looks prettier, but also ensures that the nuts stay crunchy and don’t get soggy in the liquid. Add a little more stock if needed – otherwise, leftover stock will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks, ready for the next glass noodle salad.