I make no claim that this dish is authentic Vietnamese
cuisine, because it was one of those ‘I wonder what’s in the fridge?’ lunches,
but it is inspired by the flavours of Vietnam, and I think it turned out pretty
damn delicious. It’s also a really quick dish to put together, with tender
belly pork, crunchy pickled carrots, and a big, flavoursome sauce for the
noodles made with coriander, garlic, lemon and chilli.
Ingredients
About 100g cold belly pork
1 nest of noodles
For the carrots:
1 small carrot
1 tbsp vinegar
A tsp caster sugar
For the sauce:
A small handful of fresh coriander
1 fat garlic clove
Fresh chilli, to taste
A pinch of caster sugar
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Serves one person
First, a quick note about the pork – I happened to have
some left over from making this delicious slow-roast pork belly for Sunday
lunch, which was handy, but if you don’t have any, buy a couple of slices of
good quality thick-sliced ham and use that instead, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Also, rice noodles are traditional (and delicious) in Vietnamese cuisine, but I
used egg noodles because I had those. It’s entirely up to you.
To start, pickle the carrots – mix the vinegar and caster
sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Peel the carrot and cut into thin rounds
(I cut grooves down the side of the carrot to make pretty carrot flowers, but
you don’t have to do this!), then add to the bowl with the vinegar and mix
really well. Leave for about fifteen minutes, giving it a stir every now and
then.
Next, make the sauce for the noodles – finely chop the
coriander, garlic and chilli (I used about half a teaspoon, because I like a
little heat but not too much – also bear in mind that it won’t be cooked, so
the flavour will be stronger), and then mix with a good slug of olive oil, a
pinch of caster sugar and a drizzle of lemon juice.
Finally, cook the noodles according to the instructions
on the packet (egg noodles take about 3 minutes, but rice noodles need longer,
so do take that into account if you’re using those instead). Drain them and mix
thoroughly with your prepared sauce, and then top with the carrots and sliced
belly pork. Serve immediately.
