1. For the rice vermicelli, place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Stand for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold running water until completely cool. Drain.

2. Peel the cucumber to give it a striped appearance, halve it lengthways, then cut into thin crescents on a sharp diagonal.For the nuoc cham, mix the citrus juice and vinegar and add the sugar a teaspoon at a time, tasting the mixture as you go until it becomes a pleasant balance of sweet and sour. Add the fish sauce a little at a time, again tasting as you go, until the dressing is savoury and a little on the salty side. Stir through the chilli and garlic.

3. Serve the noodles with the cucumber, herbs, lettuce, peanuts (if using) and nuoc cham.

Tip: These noodles make a fantastic picnic dish. Pack the cooked noodles in the base of a container and top with cooked turmeric fish, spring onions and dill, then pack the herbs, peanuts, cucumber, lettuce and a jar of nuoc cham dressing in a separate container.

Find more of Adam Liaw's recipes in the Good Food Favourite Recipes cookbook.