Whisk Fish sauce, ground pepper, peeled and crushed garlic, finely chopped chillies and sugar together in a bowl

In a separate bowl, pour 1/2 the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Reserve the rest of the marinade.

For the salad, make a dressing by adding lime juice and sugar to the reserved marinade, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

In a heat-proof bowl, cover the vermicilli with boiling water and leave for a minute or so until the noodles have softened.

Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Mix the drained noodles in a large bowl with the halved and thinly sliced cucumber, mint, finely sliced spring onions, cashews and the dressing until well combined.

Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Fry the chicken thighs in the oil, in a large frying pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

To serve, divide the cucumber and cashew salad among 4 plates, slice the chicken and place alongside.