Chicken, snow peas and red pepper cooked in a delicate lemongrass and coconut milk broth, mixed with bean thread noodles and topped with crushed peanuts.

2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

1 red pepper (capsicum)—julienned

16 snow peas (mange tout)—topped and tailed

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh lemongrass

2 cloves garlic—finely chopped

1 cup coconut milk

½ cup chicken stock

4 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

10 oz (300g) skinless chicken breast fillet—cut into bite-size pieces or thin strips

4 oz (120g) bean thread (cellophane) noodles

2 scallions (spring onions)—thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 fresh red chili—deseeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 teaspoons chopped roasted peanuts

HEAT the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. ADD the red pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly. ADD the snow peas and cook for another minute. ADD the lemon grass and garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring. ADD the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sesame oil and black pepper and bring to the boil. ADD the chicken, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 7 minutes. WHILE the chicken cooks, soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes then drain. ADD the noodles to the chicken and sauce and toss to mix together. SERVE in bowls garnished with scallion, red chili and peanuts on top.

Variation: Use shrimp (prawns) or squid in place of chicken.

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