Spicy Thai Salad with Shrimp, Pork, and Crispy Rice Noodles

• 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)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 ounces dried rice noodles
• 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
• 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (45 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
• Shrimp and Pork Mixture
• Salad
• Crispy Rice Noodles
• Thai Base

1. Whisk everything together and taste.
2. Adjust for acidity, sweetness, and heat; set aside.
3. Heat 2 inches of the oil in a wok or large, deep skillet to 375F, or just below the smoking point.
4. 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).
5. Remove them with a slotted spoon or basket, and drain on paper towels.
6. Assemble the ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
7. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil and saute the shallots and garlic until golden, stirring constantly so as not to burn the garlic.
8. Add the lemongrass and ginger and stir for 12 minutes.
9. Stir in the shrimp and pork and cook, breaking up lumps with a spoon, for about 3 minutes.
10. Add the Thai Base and stir to incorporate.
11. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken for about 2 minutes.
12. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and remove from the heat.
13. Toss the warm shrimp and pork mixture with the salad ingredients until well combined.
14. Add the noodles and toss again; serve immediately on a large platter or individual plates.
15. Garnish with additional chopped herbs and a drizzle of the Thai Base, if desired.
16. The recipe for the Thai base makes more than youll need in this salad, but the base will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
17. Its great to have on hand to flavor other dishes; you can basically use it anywhere youd use soy sauce.
18. Splash it into stir-fried broccoli, shrimp, eggplant, or noodles.
19. Its delicious with pork dishes as well.

fish sauce, ketjap manis, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, sugar, sambal oelek, vegetable oil, rice noodles, cabbage, carrot, scallions, fresh herbs, very, peanut, shallots, garlic, stalks lemongrass, ginger, shrimp, lean pork, base, salt, salad, noodles, shrimp, salad, noodles, base

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spicy-thai-salad-with-shrimp-pork-and-crispy-rice-noodles-383457 (may not work)