Thai Glass Noodle Salad

Thai Glass Noodle Salad

This recipe comes from the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok via Joyce Jue. It has
been adapted for the American cook and the seasonings are subtle perhaps
because we weren't as accustomed to the fiery flavors of Thailand in 1990
as
we are today. The lettuce should be only a minor part of this salad, just
a
shallow bed to hold the noodles. Jue, who was born and raised in San
Francisco's Chinatown, wrote the East to West column for the Food section
from 1990-1997. She is the author of "Asian Appetizers," "Far East Cafe,"
"The Cooking of Singapore" and "Savoring Southeast Asia," among others.

2 ounces dried mung bean noodles (cellophane noodles)
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 whole chicken breast, boned, skinned and coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh red or green chile, such as serrano, chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
6 ounces cooked bay shrimp
Thinly shredded lettuce, such as iceberg
1 to 2 tablespoons crisp-fried shallots (optional, see note)

Put mung bean noodles in a bowl and pour in lukewarm water to cover. Let
soak until soft and pliable (about 15 minutes). Drain. Add noodles to a
large pot of boiling water. Reduce to medium heat; cook until noodles are
plump and glasslike (3 to 5 minutes). Drain in a colander; rinse with cold
water; drain again. Cut into 3- or 4-inch lengths. Chill. Pour oil into
a hot wok or skillet. Add chicken; saute until it loses its pink color.
Break into small morsels. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool. Mix
together chile, lime juice, nam pla, sugar, shallots and cilantro; pour
over noodles and mix thoroughly. Add the chicken, shrimp and chilled
noodles; mix well. Serve on a bed of thinly shredded lettuce. Garnish with
the optional crisp-fried shallots.

Serves 4 to 6

Note: Crisp-fried shallots are available in Asian grocery stores.

PER SERVING: 153 calories, 16 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (1 g
saturated), 78 mg cholesterol, 639 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

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