Vietnamese Style Prawn Noodle Soup

Preparation

• 1
  First prepare the vegetables. Wipe and slice the mushrooms. Diagonally slice the mange tout. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Peel and grate the ginger. Peel the cloves of garlic.
• 2
  Devein the prawns.
• 3
  If you need to cook the rice noodles, cook them now, drain them and leave to cool. Or you can buy ready cooked noodles.
• 4
  Heat a small pan over a medium heat and toast the coriander seeds, black peppercorns and cloves in the dry pan for 3 minutes. Tip the toasted spices into a pestle and mortar with the cinnamon and grind them together.
• 5
  Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over a low heat and then stir fry the chilli, ginger and crushed garlic for a minute or two. Add the juice of half the lemon and half of the lime, along with the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and fish sauce, then add the spice mixture. Pour in the chicken stock, stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
• 6
  Tip in the king prawns and cook for a minute, then add the mushrooms, beansprouts and mange tout and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add salt to season, and add more lime juice to taste if needed.
• 7
  Meanwhile, warm the noodles and divide between 4 bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, making sure to distribute the prawns evenly.
• 8
  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or finely chopped spring onions.