Bun Dau Mam Tom

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh rice vermicelli (bun), or 8 oz dried, cooked
• 2 (14 oz) blocks soft tofu, cut into thick slabs
• Vegetable oil, for frying, plus 1 tbsp for the sauce
• 1/4 cup mam tom (fermented shrimp paste)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 head lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 bunch mixed Vietnamese herbs (perilla, mint, Thai basil)
• 8 oz cooked pork belly or Vietnamese sausage (cha), sliced (optional)

Before you cook

• Cut the 2 blocks of tofu into 1-inch-thick slabs and pat them dry with a towel.
• Slice the cucumber into thin rounds.
• Wash and pick the leaves from the Vietnamese herbs and lettuce.
• Slice the red chili thinly and slice the cooked pork or cha, if using.
• If using dried vermicelli, soak it in warm water for 15 minutes until pliable.

Steps

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rice vermicelli for 1 minute until just tender.
2. Drain the vermicelli, rinse it under cold water, and let it drain fully.
3. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
4. Fry the tofu slabs in the hot oil, turning once, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 6 minutes total.
5. Lift the tofu onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
6. Spoon the mam tom into a small bowl and whisk in the sugar.
7. Whisk in the lime juice a little at a time, tasting as you go, until the paste turns frothy with small bubbles on the surface.
8. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until just smoking and stir it into the sauce to mellow the aroma.
9. Stir the sliced chili into the sauce.
10. Arrange the vermicelli, fried tofu, herbs, lettuce, cucumber, and sliced pork on a large platter.
11. Serve with the mam tom dipping sauce alongside for dipping each bite.