Thai Seafood Noodle Salad

• Recipe by Anya von Bremzen

The classic flavors of Thai cuisine—sweet, salty, spicy, sour—can all be found in the dressing on this salad, a delicious tangle of chewy rice noodles, shrimp, squid and peanuts.

Ingredients

1. 6 ounces rice vermicelli
2. 2 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced
3. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. 1/4 cup sugar
5. 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6. 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
7. 2 tablespoons boiling water
8. 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
9. 1/2 pound bay scallops
10. 1/2 pound small squid, bodies cut into 1/2-inch rings and tentacles halved
11. 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
12. 1 cup bean sprouts
13. 1 cup mint leaves
14. 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
15. 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
16. 6 lettuce leaves, for serving
17. Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cover the vermicelli in cold water and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a mortar, pound the red Thai chiles and garlic cloves to a paste with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, boiling water and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and pound until the sugar is dissolved. Let the dressing stand for 30 minutes.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until white throughout and curled, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the ice water. Add the scallops to the boiling water and cook until white and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the scallops to the ice water. Add the squid to the boiling water and cook just until firm, about 45 seconds. Transfer the squid to the ice water. Drain all of the seafood and pat dry.
4. Bring a fresh saucepan of water to a boil and refill the bowl with ice water. Drain the vermicelli, add to the boiling water and cook just until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer to the ice water. Drain again and pat dry. Cut the vermicelli into 3-inch lengths.
5. In a large bowl, toss the seafood with the vermicelli, tomatoes, bean sprouts, mint, red onion, peanuts and chile dressing. Line a platter with the lettuce leaves and top with the seafood salad. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Make Ahead

All of the components can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately. Toss the salad just before serving.