Goi Ngo Sen (Lotus Stem Salad with Shrimp and Pork)
Vietnamese dishesSaladsSouthern Vietnam40 minutes
Goi ngo sen usually stumbles at the lotus stems. The dish is right when the stems are crisp, the shrimp sweet and the dressing balanced between sour and salty. Left out in the air, lotus stems darken and go limp.
The stems are split thin and soaked for 15 minutes in water with vinegar and a little alum, then rinsed and drained thoroughly. That gives white, crisp strands that do not weep once dressed.
This batch weighs about 2kg, at roughly 111 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse the prawns, cut along the back to remove the vein, boil for 5 to 7 minutes, drop straight into cold water, then peel.
Boil the pork belly with a little salt, and once cooked, lift out and cut into small bite sized pieces.
Rinse the lotus stems, cut into lengths, split them thin, soak for 15 minutes in water with vinegar and alum, then rinse and drain.
Cut the carrot into strips, slice the onion finely, cut the Chinese celery into lengths, chop the Vietnamese coriander, and cut the cilantro to size.
Set a pan over low heat, add a little salt, and roast the peanuts through, then cool and rub off the skins.
Mix the dressing: 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 1/3 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1/2 tablespoon MSG, stirred until it turns slightly syrupy. Add 1 tablespoon chili sauce and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
Put the prawns, pork, carrot, lotus stems, onion, Chinese celery and Vietnamese coriander in a large bowl, pour over the dressing, toss well, and leave for 5 to 10 minutes to soak in.
Lift the salad onto a plate, arrange the prawns and pork on top, and scatter over the peanuts and cilantro.
Tips
Fifteen minutes in water with vinegar and alum is what keeps the lotus stems white and crisp rather than dark.
Choose prawns with clear shells and tails folded neatly, and pass over any with splayed tails.
Let the dressing stand a few minutes so the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves fully, as an early pour tastes flat.
Slice the boiled pork belly while it is still warm, since fully cooled fat sets firm and cuts poorly.
Toss close to serving time, since standing lotus stems weep and lose their crunch.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.