Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for frying
• 2 tbsp water
• 8 chicken thighs

For the dipping sauce:

• 2 small red chillies, very finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 5 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

To assemble:

• 250g rice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
• Handful of bean sprouts
• Handful of fresh coriander leaves
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• Lime wedges

METHOD

1. Place the red chilli, garlic and lemongrass in a mini blender and blend until a chunky mixture forms. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, light brown sugar, oil and water and blend again until a paste forms - add more water if necessary. If you don’t have a blender, a pestle & mortar will also work. Place into a zip-lock bag or large bowl and add the chicken thighs, giving them a quick mix to evenly coat then set aside in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours - overnight, depending on how long you have.
2. For the dipping sauce, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until the sugar has dissolved and set aside.
3. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions then set aside.
4. Prep the vegetables and place them all on a platter ready for everyone to assemble their own bowls.
5. Place a griddle pan on the hob over a medium heat and add a drizzle of sunflower oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden, charred and cooked through. Allow to rest for a few minutes then thinly slice.
6. Divide the rice noodles between 4 bowls then serve to the table with the platter of vegetables, the sliced chicken, the dipping sauce and the herbs and lime wedges and allow everyone to build their own bowls.