With the warmer weather I have been making more salads, and below is my version of Vietnamese vermicelli salad, using roasted salted macadamias instead of the traditional peanuts. This salad has a lot of texture as well as contrasts of sweet and salty, hot and cold, cooked and raw, that is found in many Vietnamese dishes. The sticky macadamia sauce is the same sauce I’ve used in the recipe for Chinese style roast pork.
Vietnamese Style Beef Vermicelli Salad with Salted Macadamias – Serves 4
Beef Marinade Ingredients
1 tablespoon castor sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons finely minced lemon grass
Sticky Macadamia Sauce Ingredients
1 tablespoon macadamia oil
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup castor sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup dry roasted macadamias, chopped
Salad Ingredients
600g piece of rump steak
3 tablespoons macadamia oil
1/3 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup tightly packed fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup tightly packed sweet basil leaves
1 carrot grated
2 cups iceberg lettuce chopped
250g rice vermicelli noodles
6 spring onions / shallots chopped into 2cm lengths
3 tablespoons macadamia oil
1/2 cup roasted salted macadamias, chopped
Method
1. In a medium size bowl mix all the marinade ingredients together. Place rump steak and marinade n a large zip lock plastic bag, ensuring the rump steak is completed coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Meanwhile make the sauce. Combine sugar and water. In a small saucepan over high heat, add macadamia oil and onions and cook until soft. Add ginger, ground coriander and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to cool before adding the chopped macadamias.
3. Soak the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl, following packet instructions until softened.
4. Drain well. Transfer and arrange on to a large serving platter in single layer, snipping the long threads into shorter lengths as you go.
5. Arrange the iceberg lettuce and the grated carrot in layers over the vermicelli noodles.
6. In a large skillet on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of macadamia oil and add the spring onions. Stir fry until softened and starting to brown.
7. Transfer and arrange the spring onions in a layer over the lettuce and carrot.
8. Arrange and layer the mint, coriander and basil leaves over the carrots.
9. Pour over 1/2 cup of the sticky macadamia sauce. Any remaining sauce can be stored in the fridge for use another day.
10. Return the skillet to high heat and add 1 tablespoon of macadamia oil. Add the marinated rump steak and cook until rare, medium or well done as desired, turning once.
11. Transfer to chopping board and slice the cooked beef and layer over the salad.
12. Scatter over chopped roasted salted macadamias over the beef and serve immediately.