Bun Ga Nuong (Grilled Chicken and Vermicelli Salad)

Teresa M's Note:

This recipe comes from Chef Viet Tran of New York City's and Philadelphia's Le Colonial Restaurants. I posted this in response to a recipe request. I have neither tasted or made this. (Prep time will depend on how long you marinate. Use your own judgement on how much you shrimp you want with this).

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (2 whole breasts split to make 4 pieces)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 whole shallots, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup unsalted, chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup rice vermicelli (available in Asian grocery stores)
• shrimp

Dressing

• 4 ounces water
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 2 ounces fish sauce
• 1 ounce sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients together.
2. Set aside.
3. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add pasta, remove after 3-4 minutes or when almost soft.
4. Strain in colander.
5. Marinate chicken breasts in the garlic, shallots, salt and pepper and vegetable oil for at least an hour.
6. When ready to cook, grill chicken on both sides until done (about 10-15 minutes).
7. Cut into bite sized pieces.
8. In each of 4 bowls, divide lettuce and cucumbers.
9. Top with vermicelli.
10. Arrange chicken on top of pasta.
11. Pour about 2 ounces of dressing on each salad.
12. Sprinkle with fresh mint and peanuts.
13. Remove shells from shrimp and clean.
14. Saute shrimp in garlic, shallots and vegetable oil.
15. Set aside.
16. Thinly slice cucumber, carrot, daikon and red onion and mix together in a bowl.
17. Add dressing and set aside.
18. Heat grill.
19. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and 1T of the chopped basil.
20. Grill on both sides and removed when cooked (less than 5 minutes).
21. Put cucumber and carrot mixture in the middle of each of 4 plates.
22. Arrange shrimp around, then sprinkle with remaining chopped basil, mint peanuts and fried shallots.

Reviews

[foodwhisperer1]

This recipe makes my mouth sing, and creates instant joy when eating it. I cannot get Vietnamese food where I live and this is my favorite Vietnamese main course. I followed the recipe as written. Super yummy! Thank you for posting!

[raluca412]

Love this recipe! Since I didn't have vermicelli noodles, I put the chicken over a bed of lettuce, and amazing!

[peppermentpaddy]

My family loved it. I marinated the chicken for about half the day. Next time I would make more sauce since my family liked it. In the restaurants they add spring rolls so I might do that next time. I have been trying recipes from this site all week and today my kids said we should have this again next week (which doesn't usualy happen with new recipes). We also bought the "red" fish sauce at the chinese market. Thanks for the recipe. now we can have Vietnamese food at home!!