Prawns With Vermicelli ( Gung Op Wun sen )

Serves 2 or 3

Traditionally this dish is made in an earthenware pot, mor din in Thai. These can be found in most Asian supermarkets where they might also be called claypots or sandpots and If you buy one you must soak it in water overnight to reduce the chance of it shattering when it sits on the heat. To be on the safe side, heat the pot up in the oven, fill it up on the bench, then return it to the oven to cook. If you decide not to buy one, a heavy-based ovenproof saucepan with a well-fitting lid will do nicely.

You’ll see this dish all over Bangkok’s Chinatown, where it is made with large prawns and cooked in metal pots that can withstand the constant and heated demands of the lines of hungry customers.

You can shell the prawns completely or leave just their tails attached, but on the streets, they are usually left whole with only the whiskers and legs trimmed and the dark vein removed. How you deal with the prawns is up to you. Often you’ll find pieces of mud crab in the pot – a happy alternative

I know the idea of pork fat in any dish may disturb a few people but it lends a rich and suave smoothness to the dish. Try it, it really is very good. However, if you would rather not, you can use a tablespoon or two of oil in its place.

Dried vermicelli noodles are easy to find in any Asian food shop. They are also known as bean thread, cellophane or glass noodles. But under whichever guise you fine them, they should be soaked until somewhat soft, then cut into long strands to make them easier to eat once cooked.

Chinese rice wine can be found in most Asian shops and some supermarkets, however you can use sherry or even a sneaky dram of scotch if you must. I find the dark, crunchy part of the noodles that sticks to the bottom of the pot is the best part.

Ingredients

6–8 large raw prawns – approximately 400–500 g in total
100 g dried glass (bean thread) noodles – approximately 2 small bundles
50 g pork back fat or 1¬–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1–2 coriander roots, cleaned
1–2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, bruised
10 or so white peppercorns, crushed
3–¬4 tablespoons Megachef oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese [rice?] wine – optional, but desirable
a good pinch of white sugar
1 tablespoon washed, dried and chopped coriander leaves, to serve

Method

Rinse and drain the prawns. Peel and de-vein them, but leave the tails attached; the heads can also be left attached to impart a deep flavour to the noodles, as well as giving the dish an attractive appearance. Soak the noodles in warm water for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain well and cut with scissors into manageable lengths – that is, about 10 cm or so. Preheat the oven to hot – about 200°C. Warm a claypot or ovenproof saucepan in it for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the pork back fat into thin slices about 2 cm x 0.5 cm. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander roots, garlic and pepper to a coarse paste. In a bowl mix the well-drained noodles with the back fat, the coriander and garlic paste, oyster sauce, Chinese wine and sugar. Carefully take the hot pot out of the oven. Place half the noodles in the base of the pot, followed by the prawns, then the remainder of the noodles. Cover with the lid and return to the oven for about 15 minutes before checking to make sure the prawns are cooked and lifting, turning and stirring the noodles. Don’t worry if the noodles have stuck to the pot – these crunchy, charred bits are the best part. The finished dish should be quite dry and, of course, the prawns should be red, cooked and tempting. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves.

食谱

食谱和故事