Nuoc cham is a delicious and versatile Vietnamese dressing, and is great little number to know, as it works extremely well with anything from fatty pork dishes to boiled prawns.
2 Bok choy, cut in half and washed
1 packet The Fresh Grower broccolini
For the prawns:
6 large Shore Mariner raw prawn cutlets, tail on, defrosted
6 bamboo skewers,soaked in water for 20 mins
For the Nuoc cham:
1½ Tbsp Mega Chef fish sauce
1½ Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped
½ lime, juiced
To serve:
1 bunch of mint leaves, picked
1 bunch of coriander
1½ cm of ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips
Dragon and Phoenix fried shallots
For the Nuoc cham: Combine the fish sauce, white vinegar, sugar and 60mls of water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir well and cook until just before boiling point is reached, then allow to cool
Stir in the garlic, chilli and lime juice, set aside until ready to serve. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week
For the greens: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil
Add the bok choy and broccolini, and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked just past al dente, 2-4 mins
Plunge the bok choy and broccolini into iced water to refresh. Drain greens over the sink into a colander to remove excess water
Cooking tip; too much water on your greens means you will end up diluting your dressing
Ensure your vegetables are dry, then combine them in a large bowl with the mint, coriander, ginger and half of the dressing and mix well. Set aside
For the prawns: Heat a chargrill, BBQ or grill plate to hot
Thread prawns onto soaked skewers, brush lightly with oil, then grill until pink (5-6 mins), turning once or twice during cooking
To serve: Place the Asian greens on a plate, sprinkle with the crispy shallots, arrange the grilled prawns on the side and use the leftover nuoc cham for dipping