This came from the book Thai Food by David Thompson where he indicates if it is to be deep-fried it should be completely dry otherwise it will shrink and toughen. He also says it will keep for a few days if refrigerated. This recipe is how I prepared the dish using an oven for drying rather than leaving in the sun. Note it requires overnight marination (not included in prep time) and quite a bit of drying time. Makes an interesting snack although it is quite salty & chewy so won't be to everyone's taste.