Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

Lately I've been on this Asian food kick, where I'll have a bunch of Asian recipes that I want to try.  Usually it involves my favourites, such as soups, noodles, and dumplings.  Well this is a noodle dish that has become one of my recent favourites.  This recipe, from the folks at Cook's Illustrated, was recreated to mimic pad see ew, a typical Thai dish involving wide rice noodles with meat and broccoli that's flavoured with a soy sauce mixture.  One of the main reasons I like this recipe is because its final product is more of a dry noodle than a saucy and wet noodle (which can also be good but altogether another type of Asian dish and not the aim here).  I believe the key is to cook all of the ingredients separately before combining everything to ensure that things aren't overcook.

I've learned over time that there are a few important steps in producing a good Asian stir-fry.  To begin with, it's best to have everything prepared in advance, also known as "mise-en-place".  Prepping all of the ingredients makes it easy for things to go smoothly otherwise you risk getting stressed out and or worse—overcooking your stir-fry.  Another important step is to have a hot pan or wok that is preferably non-stick for easier clean up.  The last thing I've learned is that it's best to use the authentic ingredient when you can.  For instance, the original recipe called for broccolini which is never seen in Asian cooking but was likely used as a substitute for Chinese broccoli.  I went to my local Asian market to get this ingredient and others (rice noodles, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, etc.) and of course once you stock up your pantry with these Asian staples you won't have to buy these very often; a little goes a long way.  A great example of a must-have Asian ingredient is the ever so popular Sriracha, which is a garlic-based hot sauce that is just the perfect addition to nearly anything.  Actually, rather than making a chile vinegar I opted for a healthy helping of Sriracha but if you're adverse to spicy things then that part is purely optional.

One last thing, if you're going to be authentic with the ingredients you might as well go ahead a buy yourself a pair of chopsticks if you don't own any already! It's far easier to eat rice noodles that way, trust me.

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut against grain into 1/4-inch thick slices

1 teaspoon baking soda

8 ounces (1/4-inch-wide) rice noodles

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tablespoon plust 2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon fish sauce

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

3 large eggs

10 ounces Chinese broccoli, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks cut on bias into 1/2-inch pieces (5 cups)

2 green onions, sliced on a bias into 1/4-inch pieces

Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

Combine chicken with 2 tablespoons water and baking soda in bowl.  Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Rinse chicken in cold water and drain well.  

Bring 6 cups water to boil.  Place noodles in large bowl.  Pour boiling water over noodles.  Stir, then soak until noodles are almost tender, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through soak.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well and toss with 2 teaspoons oil.

Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, molasses, and fish sauce together in bowl.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil and garlic in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add chicken and 2 tablespoons sauce mixture, toss to coat, and spread chicken into even layer.  Cook, without stirring, until chicken begins to brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Using tongs, flip chicken and cook, without stirring, until second side begins to brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Push chicken to 1 side of skillet.  Add 2 teaspoons oil to cleared side of skillet.  Add eggs to clearing.  Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently and cook until set but still wet.  Stir eggs into chicken and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer chicken mixture to bowl.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet until smoking.  Add Chinese broccoli and 2 tablespoons sauce and toss to coat.  Cover skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.  Remove lid and continue to cook until Chinese broccoli is crisp and very brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.  Transfer broccoli to bowl with chicken mixture.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet until smoking.  Add half of noodles and 2 tablespoons sauce and toss to coat.  Cook until noodles are starting to brown in spots, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.  Transfer noodles to bowl with chicken mixture.  Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, noodles, and sauce.  When second batch of noodles is cooked, add contents of bowl back to skillet and toss to combine.  Cook, without stirring, until everything is warmed through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Transfer to platter, garnish with green onions and serve immediately, passing the Sriracha separately.

Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated