This is a wonderful cold noodle salad to lay out on a hot summer day as a stand-alone entree or an accompaniment to a barbecue meat offering for the Gods. We had it as a side dish to some fantastic Winkler's Smoked Turkey - a perfect pairing.
1 lb fresh noodles (egg, rice, wheat, etc.)
1 lb cooked medium shrimp (30-40 count), peeled and deveined, chilled
12 oz bean sprouts, rinsed and chilled
4 green onions, minced
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup celery, minced (about 4 medium stalks)
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely minced
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 lime
Sauce
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup warm water
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp kecap manis
2 Tbsp chili garlic paste
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Pour into a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, put in fridge to chill (about 1 hour).
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a small sauce pan over
medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 2 minutes.
Add honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, kecap manis, water and
chili garlic paste to the sautéed garlic and mix well using a whisk. Bring to a
slight boil, (it will splatter if you use too high a heat). Reduce heat to low
simmer and simmer sauce for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat
then place in fridge for 1-2 hours to chill completely.
Place noodles, shrimp, carrots, green onions, cilantro, celery and bean
sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Toss to
mix well.
Add lime juice to sauce and whisk well to incorporate.
Pour sauce over noodle mixture and mix well, ensuring all ingredients get a chance to meet each other. Place in fridge until ready to serve. Note: If sauce thickens too much add a little cold water and whisk to incorporate.
Garnish with chopped cilantro, minced green onions or lime slices, if
desired.
Serves 8-10 as a side dish
As was mentioned earlier in the ramblings we had the noodle salad with Winkler's smoked turkey thigh. Now here's the thing - it tastes like smoked ham only better. Way better...
If you don't eat pork due to religious conviction or just don't like to live high on the hog, try the smoked turkey thigh. It will give the same satisfying taste as a nicely smoked ham but has a moist delicious quality to it that is sooooooooo wonderful, even the turkey would agree.
I had smoked turkey legs for the first time in Orlando as we walked through the Florida State Fair a number of years ago (now there's a freaky-freaky blog post yet to be written) and fell in love, love, love - with the smoked turkey leg that is. What a great taste. Now Snowy Palms serves it and it can be bought at T&T Markets and other fine purveyors of quality meats..
I do think that Winkler's is the best there is - both the thighs and legs are heavenly. You should try them sometime.
Place in a baking dish with a wee bit of water, seal, then place in a hot oven for 30 minutes, it is wonderfully easy-peasey. Slice and serve. Oh my.....
