Vermicelli with Chicken Skewers and Nuoc Cham

• 5 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3), cut lengthwise into 12 strips in all
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lime juice (from about 2 limes)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 pound vermicelli
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin slices
• 2/3 cup fresh mint, basil, or cilantro leaves, or any combination of the three
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1. Heat the broiler or light the grill.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 cloves of the garlic, and the oil.
3. Add the chicken, toss, and then thread each strip onto a wooden skewer.
4. Broil or grill the chicken until just done, about 2 minutes per side.
5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 clove garlic with the red-pepper flakes, vinegar, lime juice, and water.
6. Set this nuoc cham aside.
7. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the vermicelli until just done, about 9 minutes.
8. Add the bean sprouts during the last minute of cooking.
9. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain thoroughly.
10. Put the pasta and bean sprouts on a platter and top with the cucumber, herbs, and chicken skewers.
11. Pour the nuoc cham over all and sprinkle with the peanuts.

fish sauce, sugar, garlic, cooking oil, chicken breasts, redpepper, wine vinegar, lime juice, water, vermicelli, bean sprouts, cucumber, fresh mint, peanuts

Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vermicelli-chicken-skewers-and-nuoc-cham (may not work)