Lemongrass Shrimp With Cucumber, Roasted Peanut & Tamarind Vinaigrette

Lemongrass Marinade

Ingredients:

• lemongrass, chopped (6 stalks)
• spring garlic or regular garlic (4 cloves)
• Thai basil 93 sprigs)
• peanut oil (1/4 cup)
• fish sauce (1/4 cup)
• sugar (2 tbsp)

Directions: 

1. Combine all in blender and puree until smooth, thinning with water if necessary.

Shrimp (2 pounds):

• Marinate shrimp with marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Nuoc Cham

Ingredients:

• Spring Garlic or regular garlic (4 cloves)
• red finger chili or serrano chili, seeded (2 each)
• lime juice (5 limes)
• sugar (2 tbsp.)
• fish sauce (1/2 cup)
• cucumber, peeled, chopped (1/2 cucumber)

Directions:

1. Combine all in blender and puree until smooth

Tamarind Vinaigrette

• Olive oil (2 tbsp.)
• Tamarind concentrate (6 tbsp.)

Directions:

1. Combine all, this is a broken vinaigrette.

To finish, you will need:

Ingredients:

• Rice noodles, soaked in hot water to soften
• roasted peanuts, mortar crushed
• cucumber, sliced
• carrot, sliced thin
• radish, sliced thin
• mint leaves
• Thai basil leaves
• buckwheat shoots or other lettuces 
• lemon oil

Directions:

1. sear marinated shrimp in oil
2. toss rice noodles with crushed peanuts and nuoc cham, to taste
3. toss cucumber, carrot, radish, mint, basil and shoots in nuoc cham, to taste
4. arrange vegetables over noodles
5. place shrimp over vegetables
6. finish plate with tamarind vinaigrette and lemon oil