Vietnamese/Thai Dressing

I have always been convinced that my mother is possibly the worlds greatest cooks and one of the contributing factors (apart from her ability to get everyone to like cooked cabbage) is her genius with leftover turkey. My family all love turkey but I have a particular horror of leftovers... any leftovers. All greasy with secret bones and grisly bits they really make me sad but not so the leftover turkey in the Holmes household. My mother manages to make genuinely yummy things with anything that remains from our festive bird including an amazing Thai salad with noodles, lots of mint and the most spectacular dressing which I have only recently discovered she pinched from Nigella Bites. Joe and I have deployed it twice this week - firstly with left over pork belly in a normal salad and then with defrosted beef strips in a noodle salad.The recipe for the dressing doesn't include mint but if you are Thai-ing up leftovers then get some mint... it's the only time I can stand it apart from in Mojito's and Pimms.

Vietnamese/Thai Dressing

Makes enough for a salad for 2-4

1 red chili, seeded and minced
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp rice vinegar
1 ½ tbsp lime juice
1 ½ tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
half a medium onion finely sliced
black pepper

I use a shallot for this as that's what I usually have - can't bear to have half an onion loitering in the fridge.

1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and put to one side for half an hour. Then deploy.