Bun

Vietnamese cold noodle salad. Oh my. It has become such a treat in this house. The last time I made it it was for friends at a make shift bun party. (bun, pronounced like a scottish man says fun). Its so good! I got a recipe in one of my fine cooking magazines. I tried making it, but it wasn't until I actually went to a vietnamese restaurant and ordered it there that I got the hang of what it was supposed to taste like. I am in love.

It is made in layers. First, there is an herby, cold, leaf salad placed on the bottom of the bowl. I used lettuce, cilantro, mint and basil (the cilantro and basil were from my garden YAY!) Then, a bunch of noodles are placed on top (not too much though, I use Soba noodles or Udon sometimes. Both are readily available at Ocean State Job Lots of all places... and  cheap!) On top of that goes the searing hot protien of choice. I love the pork. I actually veered from their recipe for this because I didn't want to make the caramel every time. So I used their recipe for the marinade, and then just dumped a bunch of brown sugar in and let it sit. On the barbecue, it sears and caramelizes and becomes something incredible.

The one oddity in this recipe is the fish sauce. Its used in the marinade and in the Nuoc Chom (the amazingly good sauce that you poor over the bowl of bun right before you eat it.) Fish sauce smells incredibly bad.... like rotten fish, because it is rotten fish. But don't fear the fish sauce!! It, when used in correct proportions of other ingredients, becomes this deep, umami, yummy flavor that deepens the taste and rounds everything out. Also, it never goes bad. It sits, unrefrigerated, in a cabinet in my kitchen and has been there for two years, and will be there for many many more. Until I run out I guess. That, and a little bit of crushed, salted peanuts sprinkled over the top, and you are good to go! Oh Bun, how I love thee.