Cold Rice Noodles With Coconut Milk, Peanuts and Lime

Step 1

Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water according to package instructions until tender but still chewy. (They’ll firm up when cool, so you want to cook them to softer than al dente). Drain the noodles in a colander, fill the saucepan with cold water, swish the noodles in the cold water, then drain again.

Step 2

In the empty pot, stir together the coconut milk, cilantro, chiles and fish sauce. Zest the limes over the pot, then halve one of the limes and squeeze its juice directly into the pot. Cut the remaining lime into 4 wedges.

Step 3

Toss the noodles in the coconut milk mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. (The flavor should be coconut-y, lightly sweet and savory. If you can’t taste the coconut, add more milk; if the mixture is too sweet, add more fish sauce.) Serve in bowls with peanuts scattered over top and lime wedges and chile sauce alongside. Spoon any collected coconut milk at the bottom of the pan over the noodles.