EEEEGAAWWWD where to even start with this one. First off, the recipe is sorely lacking in detail. Of course I take this as free license to start freestyling right off the bat. Heavily. I've got about a 50% success rate when I do this with new recipes. That's pretty good odds of strong, unequivocal failure. And I'm chalking this one up on the FAIL side.
Where did it all go wrong? Well, Numero Uno Bad Sign: I suspect this is supposed to be a cold noodle salad. But nowhere does it REALLY say that. So I decided to make it hot. No protein mentioned in recipe, so I decide to add shrimp. The amount of noodles seemed large, but that's the one thing I apparently didn't have the mind to question. Dressing is supposed to be on the side; I'm going to cook the shrimp in it instead. An entire tb of sugar? I do half. Oh and hey- why don't I try to do this in one pan, just to make it fun?
Verdict: Overcooked shrimp on a massive amount of almost gummy, bitter rice noodles, not enough discernible liquid left over for moisture, no real understanding what the hell the limes are doing on this plate, blah blah blah. The limes were a mystery all to themselves. They never caramelize- just seeped copious amounts of juices that had to be drained half way through. The peels made for a very bitter component, especially contrasted against the juice-soaked sugar (this flavor combo was the only redeeming element of the experience.) While not exactly palatable on their own, the pulp squeezed from them was intriguing when blended with the dressing. Speaking of dressing, the dish was edible once another side of the coconut cream and fish sauce was added for moisture (this time, with the sugar.) The dish fared better when eaten as leftovers for lunch the next day- debased to the microwave status of ready-to-heat dishes like Annie Chung Pad Thai.
Next time: What of these limes? Must explore.
Repeat factor: Non-existent for this recipe.
Another bad sign: I don't like how "caramelised" is spelled in the dish's name. Click through to see for yourself.
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